Honest Nothing
by inca-dove
Summary: A story of love, of how two people can love so deeply, yet be torn away by a single word, a single threat, a single person. This is actually an OkitaOC pairing. Its AU, so lets play pretend!
1. Infinite Wisdom, Infinite Sorrow

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters in this story, and its kinda hard to say who does, since they were real people.does that mean that they own themselves...ahhh, oro? Aiko belongs to ione_girl, I took your character from you baka sessha. Bwahahahaha, but I did twist her to fit my story, thank you! Come again!  
  
A/N: So its really short, but well, I got stuck, and am suffering from writers block. Tee hee, Enjoy!!  
  
I would like to dedicate this story to my little sister, Jeri Diane Tout, for giving me the inspiration that I have.  
  
Oh, and to those of you who want to know, the poem I have is a big metaphor for this story.  
  
~ ~ Means beginning of a flashback  
  
~ ~ * * Means the ending of the flashback  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Honest Nothing  
  
Chapter One:  
  
Infinite Wisdom, Infinite Sorrow  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Nothing Gold Can Stay"  
  
Nature's first green is gold,  
  
Her hardest hue to hold.  
  
Her early leaf's a flower;  
  
But only so an hour.  
  
Then leaf subsides to leaf.  
  
So Eden sank to grief,  
  
So dawn goes down to day.  
  
Nothing gold can stay.  
  
~ Robert Frost  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
HER STORY,  
  
"I can't!"  
  
"You must choose."  
  
"No!"  
  
"You must!"  
  
"WHY!"  
  
"Listen to me, you are disgracing the family. You must chose between the two, you can't have them both!"  
  
"How could you."  
  
* * * * ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
HIS STORY,  
  
"I don't understand?"  
  
"I don't love you."  
  
"That's not true! I know its not."  
  
"I don't love you."  
  
" . . . "  
  
"Good bye . . . "  
  
" . . . Good bye . . . "  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
It was raining again, seeming to wash away the filth that had gathered in the streets. Revitalizing what appeared to be dead. He loved the rain, and yet he loathed it at the same time. How such a beautiful thing could seem so eerily sorrowful. When he was younger, untouched by the path he had yet to follow, he would spend hours walking in it. Marveling at how it seemed to wash away the pain inside him.  
  
He didn't regret the path he had chosen, and why should he. Why would he regret the past, when there was nothing he could do to change it. Set in stone, it was like a story to be told to future generations. Oh the hours he had spent in contemplation, planing battle strategy and building fortifications.  
  
His inner thoughts we interrupted by a soft tap on his door. He pushed his thoughts out of his mind as he gracefully moved to open the door. He should have been surprised to see the figure who now stood in front of him, but oddly enough, he had almost expected it. This one person who had once stood for all the good in him, this one person who he had loved so deeply.  
  
"Aiko," He acknowledged with a curt nod. Their past, though intermeshed with both pain and happiness, only stood as a constant reminder of possible pasts and futures.  
  
"Okita," The hidden contempt almost saddened her. She knew he was trying to hide it, but she knew him two well, had spent too many hours with him to know the subtle indifferences. Yes, she also saw the hurt in his eyes as he looked upon her. And she knew that she was the one who had placed that hurt in him. She was the one who had caused much of the misery in his life. But the past could not be undone, could never be replayed to form a happier ending. And so now she stood in front of him, trying to remember what it was that she had come here to say.  
  
Okita, though slightly confused, invited her to come in, for surely she was cold from being out side. Aiko, being in the mind that she had one last thing to say to him, greatly accepted the invitation, and soon found herself nestled comfortable beside a fire.  
  
He knew she had something to say, her emotions always played across her features. But that was the way she was, she either didn't know how to, or decided not to, keep her emotions hidden. To him, it seemed like a false visage of innocence. He almost hated to admit it, but it was one of the many qualities that had drawn him to her.  
  
She felt uncomfortable, like she didn't belong. Such a funny feeling really, for honestly, she knew she didn't. But she knew that something had been left unspoken this whole time, since she had left. Left, such an uncanny way to put it really, for surely, she had had no say in the matter. Her time was running out though, she couldn't dawdle around.  
  
"Okita, I."  
  
Something over came him then, he didn't want her to say what she had come to say. It scared him. For some unfathomable reason he wasn't quite sure of, he didn't want to see her walk away again. He hated the feeling, knew he should have some bitterness inside him towards her, but it just wasn't in him. The moments spent with her he cherished, embracing them closely to his person. And yet, he had every reason to have just left her standing outside his door, freezing.  
  
"Would you care for some tea, Aiko?"  
  
His pleasantries surprised her. It was almost like the days before the tragedy had stuck them down. And for a second, she allowed herself to fall into the sweetness of when they would both sit outside, cuddled against each other under a warm blanket. Just gazing out at the stars, wondering what life had instore for them. Oh, but such sweet bliss could be torn away with a single word, a single threat, a single person.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Aiko prepared to say what she had come to say. "Okita, I have something I need to tell you. Words, that have been left unsaid for far to long."  
  
Closeing his eyes and letting out a mental sigh, Okita prepared himself for the explanation as to why she had so suddenly appeared at his door. Had it really been so long that she once spoke of this place as her home too? Nine years, nine long years, and through it all, not a single word she sent him. And so he questioned, what could have brought her back? What was wrong?  
  
Opening his eyes he locked them with hers, a silent request that she continue.  
  
The moment was upon her then, and she felt as though she was looking through a mirror. Wasn't she the one who had sat him down and told him she didn't love him anymore? The memories rushed though her then, a wave of saddened desperation.  
  
~ ~  
  
How could her father force this onto her? It just wasn't fair. Wasn't she also entitled to happiness? At that moment, she learned how much she really loved this man infront of her, and how her life would seem almost meaningless without him.  
  
Her sad eyes looked into his worried ones, pleading that they understand the situation she was in. She couldn't have them both, and had already chosen the path she would follow.  
  
~ ~ * *  
  
It all seemed like a bad dream, a nightmare of sorts, that wouldn't end, even after she opened her eyes. She questioned her sanity then. Could she really tell him that she had had no choice, that she still loved him? And yet, even after she finished bearing out her soul to him, she would have to leave once more. Would he even believe her? Did he still love her enough to forgive the terrible misdeed she had dealt him? Such questions filtered though her mind as she fought off the need to fall into his lap and cry.  
  
Stilling her eyes, she forced herself to explain.  
  
"My father found me, told me he had learned of what was between me and you from the market gossips. He told me," It hurt reliving the memory, but she knew he had to know, know that it wasn't his fault. "He told me that if I proceeded with the life I was living I would disgrace the family. That I had to chose."  
  
~ ~  
  
"I can't!" It was a desperate plea, and she knew it, but the reality seemed so curl.  
  
"You must choose."  
  
"No!" She cried out to her father. He couldn't make her leave! Her future lay with Okita, and there was nothing she would allow him to do to change that.  
  
"You must!" His normally cold eyes seemed to come to life then, angered that his successor would disobey his orders. He wouldn't have that, he felt compelled to put her in her rightful place, by his side, till the day came when she would take over his legacy.  
  
"WHY!" She yelled out. Why was this happening to her? She was happy with the new life she found with Okita.  
  
"Listen to me, you are disgracing the family. You must chose between the two, you can't have them both!"  
  
"How could you." She gave in then, knew that her world had just caved in around her. Left her buried beneath, alone in the darkness with her only source of light extinguished.  
  
~ ~ * *  
  
She smiled sadly for him there. Now she had to tell him what exactly she had to choose between.  
  
"Okita, there may be something you don't really understand . . ."  
  
He didn't hear her words, was too angered that her father had made her choose between him and her family. He clenched his hands as realization dawned on him. Of course she had left him for her family, though she had rarely spoke of her father, he could see behind the mask how much she loathed him. But even through all the malice she held for him, there were others in her family that were most dear to her. For the first time in awhile, he wanted to scream, pick up his sword, and teach someone, anyone, a lesson or two.  
  
"I was pregnant, Okita. I had to choose between you or our baby."  
  
~ ~  
  
"How could you." She gave in then, knew that her world had just caved in around her. Left her buried beneath, alone in the darkness with her only source of light extinguished.  
  
"This is your fault I'll have you know. It's because of you and your misbegotten child that you must chose! That such curl things have come to pay you a visit."  
  
She could tell that he took some kind of sick pleasure at her dispense. That he was laughing at her. Well, if there was one thing she wouldn't give him, it was the satisfaction of watching her fall.  
  
"As you wish." She whispered eerily at him. Her once tearful eyes now held a determined light to them. His time would come soon enough, and when that time came, she would be at the sidelines. A sinister sinker plastered on her face with the knowledge that he couldn't stop her once he was gone.  
  
~ ~ * *  
  
His breath left him then, he felt constricted. He couldn't breath, he need air. Jumping up he hurried outside. The clouds still gathered in the sky, but the rain had stopped. He stared out across the land, searching desperately for something, anything. Not finding whatever it was he wanted, he looked over his shoulder to find Aiko still nestled comfortable in the warm blanket. She was just sitting there, calmly looking at the place he previously was occupying, as if waiting for his return.  
  
The next words she spoke shocked him, stilled him to the core. Sounding as if full of infinite wisdom, but knowing also infinite sorrow.  
  
"Come back Okita, my story doesn't end there."  
  
"Aiko, please," The pain in his chest closed a heated hand around his heart. "Please tell me the whole story, from before you met me."  
  
She turned her head in his direction while her eyes studied him, gauging his sincerity. And she must have found something she liked, maybe a lingering hope that the future could become bright again.  
  
"As you wish, from the beginning it is."  
  
Almost pleased that he would finally know the whole truth, he closed the door and returned back to his set. However, the look he saw in Aiko's eyes left no room for doubt that in his pain, she had suffered far worse.  
  
And he knew too, that whatever secrets she had kept hidden form him all this time, were about to be laid bare.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
So there you have it folks, the first chapter to my story "Honest Nothing." I really hope you liked it. I had fun writing this, it was a new experience for me. OH, and I really love that poem by Robert Frost, even used the title as my class motto. Tee hee!  
  
Well then readers, till next chap it is,  
  
inca 


	2. Journey

Disclaimer: I swear I own it, really I do! ::Looks around for lawyers:: Yep, it all belongs to me. ::Hears a noise from behind:: SMACK! But but, I . . . Okay fine, I don't own any of these characters. Even Aiko, she belongs to ione_girl. There, you all happy! OY!  
  
A/N: Lookie, an update! Sorry if it took a long time, but I like to pretend that between my time of writing and going to college, that I have a life. It's a filler chap, and a slow one. About nothing happens in it, but read it anyways!  
  
I would like to dedicate this story to my little sister, Jeri Diane Tout, for giving me the inspiration that I have.  
  
For this chapter, I would like to dedicate it to my older sister, April Jean Zumwalt, for giving me a niece.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Honest Nothing  
  
Chapter Two:  
  
Journey  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Once by the Pacific  
  
The shattered water made a misty din.  
  
Great waves looked over others coming in,  
  
And thought of doing something to the shore  
  
That water never did to land before.  
  
The clouds were low and hairy in the skies,  
  
Like locks blown forward in the gleam of eyes.  
  
You could not tell, and yet it looked as if  
  
The shore was lucky in being backed by cliff,  
  
The cliff in being backed by continent;  
  
It looked as if a night of dark intent  
  
Was coming, and not only a night, an age.  
  
Someone had better be prepared for rage.  
  
There would be more than ocean-water broken  
  
Before God's last "Put out the Light" was spoken.  
  
~ Robert Frost  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
Aiko's blank eyes looked into Okita's saddened ones. Her hands she had lying flat on her knees, as if trying to grasp what she knew to be a tangible object. Both their hearts were a mixture of happiness and sadness; happy to relieve beautiful days, sad to know the ultimate outcome of it.  
  
"I was a young, naive, little girl, sheltered from the world because my father was our leader. I lived inside our home, my only chance to see the outside was when me and Takara would practice. However, it all changed on my 16th birthday. I was to take on the initiation process. Leave home with nothing and survive for half a year. I did this, I left my home gladly, and I met you . . ."  
  
* * *  
  
One lone figure walked the streets of kyoto, stalking its pray. Waiting in the crowds for the best opportunity. The soft mint green of the kimono aided to the stalkers cause of blending. Blending in this new world. Big eyes and feathers adorning dark hair, this person seemed to hold the very presence of innocence. But behind the mask laid something quite unusual in nature, a flame screaming to be set free.  
  
~ * ~  
  
Aiko's dark eyes scanned the area, drinking in all the colors and people of this new place. To her left she saw a lady playing off as some hapless female, trying to catch notice. To her right a store selling new silk kimonos in all sorts of colors. Everywhere there were smiles, cheer and laughter. A thing she had not the privilege of for her past sixteen years of life. She almost felt obligated to smile herself, though she couldn't quite understand why; she had no reason.  
  
She moved to the kimono store, stopping when she reached the display window. Raising her hand up to the barrier that separated her and the fine clothing she wondered what her life would have been if circumstances would have turned out different. Would she be nothing but a normal teenager if she wasn't held to her destiny? Perhaps, but only in another life.  
  
A soft voice came from behind her, startling her out of her thoughts. "Their beautiful, don't you believe?"  
  
Aiko turned around to see the most regal female she had ever seen. This ladies kimono seemed to be made from the sky itself, as if a gift from the heavens. Aiko had never thought of herself to be much more than a comely face with bland hair, but looking at this person she felt worse than plan, she felt simple. The ladies hair was done up in a complicated bun, accenting her eyes. Green as forests, with what looked to be silver flecks hidden in them. Aiko was once told by her little sister, Takara, that the eyes of a person spoke much of what the person was on the inside. Cruel or kind, happy or sad, dead or alive.  
  
"Yes, they are. It's a shame life can't be as beautiful as they." And that's the way she felt. Since she was born her life had revolved around the fact that she was her fathers daughter. Shown false respect, and being told she deserved none of it.  
  
The lady grabbed Aiko's hand with both of hers. Looking into her eyes she said with much passion, "But life is, and if it's not, it can be. All we must do is open our eyes and take in the world around us." She paused, and looked around, imitating what she had just stated. "Like that woman over there," Now she gestured with her hand to a lady selling sweets and candy, "Do you believe that she only sells to make a living, so that her children can have food on their plates?" She dropped her hands but continued to hold Aiko in her stare. "The fact that she needs the money is indeed important, but what is so beautiful in this is that of the love she holds."  
  
Aiko thought on this for a while, playing with the idea in her mind. Could this lady be right, that even in the worst of circumstances that something so wonderfully beautiful could still be had? But that went against all of her beliefs, and if nothing else, her beliefs were all she had in her world. And who was this lady to come up on her, only to start sputtering nonsense.  
  
"But a silver lining isn't always enough to make the wrong seem right." Aiko watched on as the ladies eyes seemed to sadden a bit once the words were said.  
  
"Poor little girl, you still have much to learn. No one should ever believe that all is lost, for surely all will truly then be lost. And that my dear, is the lesson I hold for you." The lady turned then, having done what she had come to do. Turning her back on the one that refused to believe in happiness.  
  
Aiko was left staring at the strangers back, wondering what had just transpired when she saw the lady turn around, seeming to remember something else.  
  
"Oh yeah, and I'll tell your father you said hello." She seemed to still be saying something to her, but Aiko couldn't hear her. Wouldn't hear her. Refused to hear her. If the strange lady noticed Aiko's blank look, she hid it well. Aiko vaguely registered the lady finish walking away, to consumed was she in trying to figure out how the stranger knew her father. Was she an acquaintance, a dealer with whom he dealt with? An old friend perhaps? No, Aiko quickly ruled that one out; her father didn't have any friends. And then it hit her, like a katana being jammed into her gut. She knew who this person was, should have noticed when she first laid eyes on her. So obvious it was . . .  
  
But if that was the case, then her father sincerely did not have faith in her ability to make it back home alive.  
  
Aiko was filled with such anger then. Her father had scrounged up his people and sent them to help her on her journey. Why couldn't he believe that she could do this on her own? It almost seemed to be so like him that it was sort of pointless to not have expected it. But this was her journey, and hers alone. She would show him that she could do this single handedly, that she didn't need help to figure out the world.  
  
Her eyes fell back onto the kimonos, watching as they seemed to laugh at her existence.  
  
* * *  
  
As Aiko had continued her search for truth, the sun had set. Thus is why she now found herself at a local inn. Having nothing to her name at this point, Aiko collapsed onto the bed, happy the day was over.  
  
Her hair cascaded over her face in a sort of black waterfall, her eyes slowly drifting closed. Leaving behind the world she knew, for the world she dreamed of. But her mind kept wondering of the strange ladies comments, and if they had any merit to them.  
  
(FLASHBACK)  
  
He was laughing at her again.  
  
The held back tears began to go unchecked.  
  
His cold eyes holding humor at her disposition.  
  
Where was her mother?  
  
Why wasn't she there to protect her anymore?  
  
I hate you . . . I HATE YOU!  
  
(END FLASHBACK)  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning Aiko was back out on the streets, wondering around for her unknown source of knowledge. A winding road, with no beginning or end. A fruitless search she knew, but one she believed would lead her to some unnamed goal.  
  
Like yesterday, she was once again consumed by all the smiling faces around her. How uncanny, she thought, that even when things looked bad, the people still found the strength to smile. She could only hope that one day she would also hold such power. After all, it would come in handy. Maybe, for once in her life, it wouldn't be so bad to let go of her doubt, and try to see things in a new light. That was, wasn't it, what the strange lady had been trying to tell her to do.  
  
Feeling an odd sense of giddiness, Aiko decided that nothing could make this day seem displeasing. She was free, she had no reason to brood over the past and future. Live in the present, and live it day by day. That would be her motto when she assumed the role of leader.  
  
Aiko smiled, and it almost felt weird to feel the affects it had on her face. It felt some how liberating. But Aiko was too caught up in her own musings to realize that the towns people had stopped their contagious smiling. It all went unnoticed to her as the people crowded out of the streets and into buildings.  
  
But after a while, she did notice. And the streets before her looked more like the future she believed would come. Aiko shivered, feeling cold from within. The once crowded streets of Kyoto now not desolate.  
  
"Odd." She said to herself as she continued to study what was going on around her. She turned her head and saw a man dressed in blue standing next to her. An eerie aura stuck to his being. Did she really want to talk to this man?  
  
Taking a double look around, she realized that if she wanted answers, she had no choice.  
  
"Whats going on?" She asked him. She really did want to know what it was that caused such people to become so afraid.  
  
Without turning his head the man looked at her. His chilling golden eyes regarded her. He spoke one work, not truly understanding why she wouldn't know for herself. But yet, she seemed to be so innocent, of course she wouldn't know. Young people like her should never have to know what goes on during days like these.  
  
"The Shinsengumi." Curt, flat, holding no emotion to the word. It might have paralyzed her if it wasn't for her father speaking to her like that  
  
"Oh." She honestly had no clue who the Shinsengumi were. A few men? Well, if it was just few men that stroke fear into the hearts of everyone, then she was compelled to teach those bullies a lesson. People shouldn't have to go around with fear constantly plaguing them. It reminded her too much of her father, and she hated that. She wanted no resemblance of that man while she was free.  
  
Squaring her shoulders, she calmly walked into the middle of the road, and waited. Waited for the Shinsengumi to come to her.  
  
~ * ~* ~  
  
The day was going on as any other day. Walk the streets, patrol the city, make sure battousai didn't show up. He loved his job, but right now, it all just seemed to be so boring. He looked up to see his partner wearing his normal look. Though his slit eyes did seem to be slightly narrower than their usual.  
  
"Okita, what do you make of that?"  
  
Said man looked to where his companion was looking. The scene before him was quite rare, and his response was a quirked eyebrow and a smile that spread across his whole face.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Next chapter:  
  
They meet, they finally meet! Tee hee!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Character Notes:  
  
Aiko: Lets just say she has some major issues regarding her father.  
  
Takara: Don't know much about her yet, she comes in later in the story though. So for right now, she's just Aiko's baby sister. ^_^::  
  
Strange lady: What is there to say, just one of the many people out to help her discover what life can give.  
  
Guy in blue: Figure it out, I know you can!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
So there you have it people, the next chapter of Honest Nothing.  
  
To the reviewers – I love you guys!::  
  
Mysitcinca: Don't say such cruel things, you know you love me! Tee hee! As to why I wrote this story, you'll have to take that up with ione_girl, she has all the answers in that department. He he, glad to hear you like it that much . . . hopefully this chapter wasn't TOO boring. I see your eyes have gotten heavy, your not going to FALL ASLEEP are you? ::evil glare:: Glad to hear it. So yeah, my next chappers out, where's the next one for "Truths Tears" huh? Lol. Keep reading, keep reviewing, I love you man!  
  
Ione_girl:  
  
Your welcome! Yeah, I kinda liked the whole scene with Okita finding out he might (might being the key word here people) be a daddy. I think Okita would make a good daddy. Kid might turn out a little twisted, but hey, who's to know . . . right? For the next few things in your review, LOL, LOL, LOL, shit . . ., yeah. I think I don't describe so much cause it's just not me. I like it more when you can "feel" whats going on instead of just "seeing" it. Yeah, I'm weird, I know. Tee hee.  
  
Thanks all two of my reviewers! Your both my sisters, but its all good. 


	3. Place for Peace

Disclaimer: Well, I don't own this, so don't presume to believe so. But I'll tell you, don't get on the lawyer's bad side, they hurt! Aiko and Takara belong to ione_girl.  
  
A/N: I rewrote my rewrite for the beginning of this. It was so hard, you can't even begin to imagine the countless hours of sleep I lost because of this! And believe it or not, I'm STILL not happy with the outcome of it . . . OY! But anyway, here you have it, the next instillation of HN!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Honest Nothing  
  
Chapter Three:  
  
Place of Peace  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"  
  
Whose woods these are I think I know.  
  
His house is in the village though;  
  
He will not see me stopping here  
  
To watch his woods fill up with snow.  
  
My little horse must think it queer  
  
To stop without a farmhouse near  
  
Between the woods and frozen lake  
  
The darkest evening of the year.  
  
He gives his harness bells a shake  
  
To ask if there is some mistake.  
  
The only other sound's the sweep  
  
Of easy wind and downy flake.  
  
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.  
  
But I have promises to keep,  
  
And miles to go before I sleep,  
  
And miles to go before I sleep.  
  
~ Robert Frost  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
"I know this story Aiko, I lived it." Okita spoke, interrupting Aiko's story.  
  
Sighing to herself, she answered, "But Soushi, you don't know all of it yet. You don't know the small pieces that led up to everything."  
  
Noticing the name she called him, Okita studied her face, finding in her eyes a need to tell, a need to go on. "Then please, continue."  
  
She smiled, and Okita mentally noted that it seemed to be a smile worn down by a life she lived. He wondered, briefly, what life she had lead since she had left him for her past.  
  
As Aiko continued to look into the eyes of the man she had once loved so dearly, and still continued to love, she could only smile on the memories of their first meeting. Then she had thought of it to be such a serious matter, but looking back on it now . . . it was a memory she would hold to her heart with every last ounce of strength she had.  
  
With a light chuckle playing with her words, Aiko proceeded, "I'm sure you remember our first meeting, it would be hard to forget it. I was so mad at that time. I didn't want to see people cower in fear of their lives. So I took matters into my own hands . . ."  
  
* * *  
  
"Okita, what do you make of that?"  
  
Okita looked to where his companion was looking. The scene before him was quite rare, and his response was a quirked eyebrow and a smile that spread across his whole face. Okita couldn't help but think that the lady in the middle of the road made for quite a comical scene. A young girl, he guessed no older than seventeen, standing alone with her arms crossed.  
  
"Perhaps the young lady is merely lost, and wants to ask for directions?"  
  
The look Hijikata gave him was comparable only to when he actually asked for directions himself. A scary look indeed.  
  
Within minuets the duo was standing infront of Aiko.  
  
Okita watched as the young lady uncrossed her arms and planted them onto her hips. He watched as her mouth moved without sound. The way the light breeze played with her hair, the way that the two feathers seemed to be trying to escape from their confining stands. One word came to his mind, a simple word, but meaning so much; innocence. She looked to be so innocent, as if she was still untouched by the hatred of others.  
  
Hijikata spoke first, his voice leaving no room for argument, "Move."  
  
Okita inwardly sighed. If there was anything Hijikata lacked, it would be the ability to speak to others without insulting them.  
  
"No."  
  
The only effect her word had on Hijikata was a slightly narrowing of his eyes.  
  
"Move."  
  
"No."  
  
"Move girl."  
  
"As I said before, no."  
  
Okita's smile grew wider. So someone was actually brave enough to stand up against Hijikata? The girl was either incredibly stubborn, or unimaginably stupid. Okita knew Hijikata was getting annoyed, and all he wanted to do about it was point a finger and laugh.  
  
"You should be the ones who leave. You're the ones who strike fear into the good hearts of the towns people. You're nothing but the vile trash that lurks at night."  
  
Okita wanted to point out that, no, they in fact weren't the "vile trash that lurks at night," as she had so eloquently put it. But the one she was speaking of was not just one, but a clan, a choshou clan.  
  
Aiko let her emotions fly from her, leaving her as an empty shell. She wasn't scared, she wasn't frightened. Her heart was racing, true, but she had been in this situation a countless amount of times, she was prepared to do what she must. She knew it would be clumsy, but she dropped down into a fighting stance anyway. One she knew so well from her practices with her sister. She wasn't perfect, but neither was she a novice.  
  
"Hn." Without reaching for his katana, Hijikata also moved into a stance. He had no intention to kill her; that would be going against his code. But he could teach her a lesson, one she would likely not forget.  
  
Okita knew that this would be a one sided fight. The girl was wearing a kimono, thus hindering her movements to a great deal. He knew exactly what was going to happen if he allowed this to continue. The girl might be able to hold herself if she was skilled enough, but the ultimate outcome would be of her losing by the inability to move. He normally didn't make it a habit to interrupt Hijikata's fights, but this time, he felt compelled to do so.  
  
Okita quickly placed his hand on Hijikata's shoulder, whispering a simple command of, "Wait."  
  
Not taking his eyes off of the girl in front of him, Hijikata turned his head in Okita's direction. He knew his companion had a reason to stop this, he always had a reason for his actions. Okita took this distraction to his advantage, as he moved to stand infront of Hijikata. Him being probably the only person alive who would turn their back on Hijikata.  
  
Okita smiled at her and raised his hands in a gesture he hoped would lessen the tension that was pulling at his friend and her.  
  
"Please, calm down. We," Here he pointedly looked over his shoulder at the now impassive Hijikata, "don't want to fight you."  
  
Aiko straightened herself back up, but didn't fully drop her guard. The man before her seemed incapable oh hurting a fly, but nonetheless, he still carried a katana. One and one makes two, two and one makes three. She still didn't waver in her thoughts however. The town's people had to have a reason to fear these people. She would do whatever was possible to try and free them from it.  
  
Well, it was reasonable to say that before this Okita really was surly bored, but now he just might have something to do. He looked back over to Hijikata, knowing the man would understand he had to do this. He had to get answers, he had to find out, he had to . . . Suddenly the means seemed to overly justify the ends.  
  
Okita smiled back over towards Aiko, as he held out his hand to her.  
  
"It's such a wonderful day today, would you care to take a walk with me?"  
  
Aiko was taken aback by his question. Last she knew they were in the middle of trying to get her out of the road. It was a ploy then, the taller of the two was obviously using the shorter one to get her to move. She held fast, not quite willing to be alone with this man. But then, she reasoned she could at least get some information as to what was going on. With that thought in mind, she accepted his invitation for a walk.  
  
Eyeing him as she tentatively placed her hand in his, she said, "Alright."  
  
Hijikata kept a watchful eye on his companion as he led the girl away. Then, sliding back on his blank mask, he calmly started back down the road.  
  
~ * ~  
  
Loud silence surround them as they walked along a dusty road, devoid of life. The place seemed dead, not a soul moved. Aiko frowned at this. Just where was the small man taking her? She wasn't afraid that danger would occur, she knew how to protect herself regardless. And for some unexplainable reason, she felt as though she could trust this man, this man she knew nothing about. Neither his name nor his reasoning. But she felt oddly comfortable, walking along in this silence. It gave her time to think about her actions today. Maybe she had been too hasty to cast judgement on the two, but she doubted it so.  
  
She paced herself behind him, two spaces back, as a lady should. She was no lady herself, grew up as quite the opposite, but she figured that hiding her true nature seemed to be most prudent. Her actions earlier might have coasted her that though.  
  
The man turned around toward her and smiled.  
  
"This way."  
  
She didn't speak, just continued on after him. She wanted to talk, she wanted to ask questions, she wanted to know what was going on. Where was he leading her? Her comfort was slowly growing thin by each step. She lacked patience, something her little sister seemed to be quite abundant in. Making a mental note to work on that aspect, she continued on in silence. Waiting, waiting for answers.  
  
She had been so busy trying to stay patient that the scenery had gone unnoticed to her. But as soon as the man had sat down did all start to dawn on her. No longer were they in the dead section of Kyoto, but now were in a small park like area. The trees spotted the little square of land, and grass grew plentiful. Aiko saw what looked to be a small stream that cut across the back most portion of the land.  
  
It was beautiful, the place seemed to be so full of life. It reminded her of home, of the woods the family lived in. She smiled a sad smile, she really did miss that place. It had been her only escape for so long that it had grown to be so much a part of her life. She longed to go back and run along the trees, free to take in the peace the woods would offer to her. But she would give it all up if she could stay away from the family, leave her past behind and grasp what she wanted so tightly. The woods and her sister, her only solace from fate . . .  
  
And then she remembered just who had brought her here. Leaving her memories behind, and taking her gaze off the greenery, she looked back to the man now sitting on the grass. She asked, with slight confusion lacing her words, "Why did you lead me here?"  
  
He just looked at her, his smile plastered on his face. And then to her astonishment, he laid down, almost successfully ignoring her question.  
  
Fire blazed in her eyes, he had asked her to follow him, and she had. She had staid quiet through out the whole walk to this place. She had acted like a good little lady, and what did she get in return? Him ignoring her, that's what! She wanted to hit something . . .  
  
"Please, come and watch the birds with me."  
  
Now she wanted to scream words that weren't meant to pass a lady's lips. Placing her hands on her hips she glared.  
  
"Why. Did. You. Lead. Me. Here?" It was a simple question, she thought. A question she believed she deserved an answer to. She wasn't used to being ignored. Always in her past had people answered her questions. Well, if they were answerable that is, she mentally corrected. Her status in the family didn't practically demand answers, but she normally got them when she asked.  
  
Almost as an after thought, she continued, "There aren't any birds around her anyway."  
  
The little man looked up at her, seemingly to finally notice her existence. "How can you say there are no birds when you have not yet looked?"  
  
Aiko didn't know what to say, she was speechless. He had a good point, she really hadn't looked around for birds. She had just known they weren't around. Hadn't heard the distinct sound of them.  
  
She smiled at him, feeling for the first time in a long time the need to laugh. She raised her hands to her head as she let out a slow sigh. All the while with the smile at her lips and a gleam in her eyes.  
  
Sitting down on the grass by her odd companion, Aiko looked once again at the greenery surrounding her. Allowing herself to fall back into her few good memories. Her eyes watched for nothing really, just merely watching. Half of her was expecting her father to jump out from behind the trees, the other half knew it to not be possible. But then again, one of them HAD been sent to look after her. The memory of that lady's face haunted her. It seemed so familier, yet not. It was as if a ghost of the past lived on in the face, particularly in the eyes, of the lady. She wanted to know more.  
  
Okita watched as the girl's eyes took on a distant look. He was unable to look away, as if her eyes had captivated him with a source of overwhelming sadness. Okita was mildly happy that Hijikata wasn't with him right now, as he knew Saitou would be laughing on the inside at him. That, he believed, was Hijikata's scariest weapon he had. Okita shivered.  
  
Smiling up at the girl, Okita broke the silence once again.  
  
"My names Okita Soushi, and what would yours be?"  
  
Aiko was drawn out of her thoughts when the silence was broken. Turning her head in the mans direction, she said her name, the only one she would give.  
  
"Aiko."  
  
Okita laughed. So she didn't want him to know her whole name, that was fine with him. At least he now had a name to go with her face.  
  
"Well, Aiko-san, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance."  
  
Aiko nodded at him, knowing she had to respond.  
  
"Okita-san, the pleasure is all mine."  
  
Both faces turned up to the tree tops, surprise written on one, knowledge on the other.  
  
Up in the trees the birds chirped merrily and sang their bird-y songs. Glad that the cold season had finally come to a close. Glad to be back in their age old homes to start their own family.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Its not a cliffy at least, right? ::Ducks down to hide from the onslaught of tomatoes:: Eww . . .  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Next Chapter:  
  
Emotions collide!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Character Notes:  
  
Aiko: Her reasons behind her thoughts aren't quite too clear yet to you guys, but all will come in all due time.  
  
Aiko's Father: All we know about him at this point is that he's a cruel bastard who didn't give Aiko the kind of love she needed. I reserve the rights to say no more about him yet.  
  
Takara: Well, yeah, as before, she's Aiko's only sister.  
  
Hijikata: I love him, you just have to love him. His whole cynical bastard attitude. But yeah, Hijikata is still Hijikata, though I may have messed up on him. I'm trying people, really I am!  
  
Okita: He is the hardest character I have ever had to write! Okita is Okita. He feels drawn to Aiko. It might have something to do about the aura she gives off. Who knows? I surely ain't going to ruin it for all you.  
  
Strange lady that was mentioned in chapter: Bwahahahahahhaa, the lady from last chapter. Other than that, I'm not telling!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
To the reviewers:  
  
Ione_girl: quit being anonymous! I know who you are! I know where you sleep! Bwahahaha! Have you ever read "Truth's Tears," by mysticinca? Aiko's not having flashbacks, what it is, is that she's telling Okita (though he lived through the whole escapade) the story of their lives. See I start out with her talking, then I go into the story part. So it's not a flashback, it's a telling of a story. Yeah, if you didn't understand that, ask mysicinca, she can tell you all about it. Yeah, I figured I would still Takara from you too. Tee hee! Glad to hear you know who the guy in blue was, must say I made it quite obvious. Lol. Lol, yeah, I think that the whole Okita part in last chap was indeed funny. And in this chap, I like the Saitou and Aiko part. So sorry if I got Okita wrong, like I told you, I need to compare notes with you so I can get Okita right. The strange lady's identity will come later. Much later. Ah haha, ah haha haha! Okay, this is a LONG thing, so I'm going to end it . . . now!  
  
Lillithan aka mysticinca: You knocked off a point from grammar because of one stupid word!!! Oy! I be not perfect you know! LOL. Thanks, hope you find this one good too. Actually, you better, cause I lost sleep because of it! I thought that was a good place to end it! Tee hee! At least this chapter isn't such a cliffy. Um, no, I must say that though I love the nephew, he's too much of a Devil and I would have to set Sano and Naraku on him. I'm too nice for that one, plus I don't want to share! Tee hee! Okay, so your reviewer response is slightly shorter than ione_girls, but hey, she gave a longer review. LOL. So yeah, I still love you though master! Please for give this baka denshi!  
  
::thinks about it real hard:: Well, at least I know I have two faithful reviewers! Woohoo, ::spreads pocky to them:: And theres plenty more where that came from if anyone else wants to review. Tee hee! 


	4. Hollow

Disclaimer: I don't own, so don't sue. The only mentioned character that I do own is Aiko's dad, and im not even sure if I really do own him. Teehee.  
  
A/N: Believe it or not, I had fun writing this chapter! Besides that, I really have no news.  
  
(FLASHBACK), well, that means a flash back  
  
Things between ~ ~ and ~ ~ * * mean sort of the same thing as a flashback, just its more along the lines of a memory flash . . . um, if you all understand that, good job, cause I really didn't. Just take note that whats between them is when Aiko and Okita were in the park spot.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Honest Nothing  
  
Chapter Four:  
  
Hollow  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Knowledge  
  
Depression hide it, Never!  
  
Loves changing all around.  
  
Nothing better-later or sooner.  
  
Lovers, hating or drowned.  
  
Life, no chance inside.  
  
Friends, not who they ment to be.  
  
Child, no chance outside.  
  
People, open you eyes and see!  
  
Stars glimmer less-lesser.  
  
Goals hide, more depression.  
  
Lover dims, bet on better.  
  
None sees my expression.  
  
Depression, Life, Friend, Child  
  
Nothings real anymore.  
  
Torture of soul, sweet, mild.  
  
Love feels, hearts sore.  
  
Pain Heartbreak, Sorrow....Enough!  
  
Nothing to see, all to hide.  
  
People, diamonds social rough.  
  
Too many rules to abide.  
  
Help me - Be me - See me - Ignore me- Know me!  
  
~ April Zumwalt  
  
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
  
How long had it been?  
  
Oh yeah, a week.  
  
Just a week.  
  
Seven days in total.  
  
Actually, five, Aiko amended. As she had met him on the second day of her stay in this town. But it seemed to be so much longer than a measly five days.  
  
She sat on the floor, kimono discarded in favor of her normal clothing. Her eyes wondered about the room she knew well. The creaking floor bored in the middle, the pin holes in her shoji. The small bed off in another corner that resembled that of the western style.  
  
Lifting her hand up to her forehead she wiped off a few droplets of sweat. It was quite a warm summer night. Letting out a sigh, she agreed with herself that it was just too warm. It was like a sauna in there, she had to get out.  
  
Removing herself from her spot on the floor she walked over to the window and opened it to let in a draft. She rested her hands on the seal and once again let her thoughts take over.  
  
"He was a nice man." She spoke to herself. True, he seamed to be a little weird, but nice nonetheless.  
  
The opened window wasn't doing too much to cool her down though. Walking back to the middle of the room she crossed her arms. Furrowing her brows, she wondered how Okita could become such a dominant part of her thoughts. It wasn't like her to just meet some guy and spend hours wondering about him.  
  
A frustrated sigh passed her lips as she began to tap her fingers against her arm. Maybe if she saw him again, then she could finally have a decent nights sleep. There were bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. Yeah, it might work, but she had no idea where to find him. She briefly entertained the thought of just running down the streets yelling out his name. That would be bound to get his attention sooner or later . . . and others too. Okay, so that wouldn't be the best thing to do at this time of night. A smirk crossed her features as she imagined what would probably happen to her if she actually did such a thing.  
  
Again, her thoughts drifted to Okita. To the way that his smile had made her almost forget that she was a shadow that clung to hope. Her smirk dropped down to a frown then. The urge to rip her hair out and to scream for all she was worth was almost too much to bear.  
  
Bottom line, he intrigued her.  
  
She was bored, she was restless, and most of all she really needed something to do to get him out of her mind.  
  
Hanging her head down in defeat, she realized she wasn't going to get any sleep at the rate this was going. And it was a nice night out to bout. Maybe a walk would help to calm her nerves.  
  
With her resolve set, she padded quietly over to her door; making sure no one would hear her leave. She cracked the shoji open slightly before realization set in. Looking down at her outfit she knew it was out of the question to let people see her. Secrecy was her ally, she couldn't betray it. Taking a deep breath and then sighing, she thought better of leaving through the door. There was, after all, a window. She could climb though the window. And the night was dark, so no one would see her.  
  
More importantly, she would probably die of heat stroke if she bothered to stay around and put back on her kimono.  
  
She crept through the window, careful to be silent. The streets darkness welcomed her with opened arms. The people that crowded the streets by day had all returned home to their families. Home to bed, home to love.  
  
Aiko stood in the street, still as a ghost, trying to figure out which way to go. It was a silly thought really, both ways would lead her to the same thing. More silence would meet her at each direction. Shaking her head, Aiko proceeded to her right.  
  
She made hardly a sound, making sure unwanted attention would not be drawn to herself.  
  
Strangely enough, escaping by way of window reminded her of her younger years. A childish Aiko slipping through her bedroom window to hide out away from her father.  
  
Putting the notion of silence on hold, she let out a frustrated laugh. If it wasn't one man to fill her thoughts, then it was the other! Couldn't they leave her alone, and let her mind be her own again. Simply put, she had enough problems to worry about than those of the two men.  
  
"Ones a mockery, the others a mystery." She mumbled to herself.  
  
She found a nice, little rock in the road and started to kick it along infront of herself while she let her mind run back on its course of the man that remained a mystery. She almost wanted to hate him. He just seemed to be to damn happy. He had smiled the whole time she was with him. Why? Somehow, she knew that the smile was a mask. It had to be a mask, no living person could possible have THAT much to smile about.  
  
The sounds of screams tore into her thoughts then. A sound she knew all too much about. Stopping dead in her tracks she whipped her head about to try and locate them.  
  
The screams were coming from everywhere. Why hadn't she noticed them before?  
  
She knew she should do nothing and pretend she didn't hear anything, but she couldn't bring herself to just ignore. Not when she could possibly do something, never. But it was no use, the screams were reverberating from every direction. She couldn't pin point them.  
  
Stilling her eyes, she gazed infront of herself, fighting a mental battle against her conscious. And then she took of, running as fast as her legs would carry her.  
  
The screams she heard seemed to morph into a single scream in her mind. A child screaming from long ago. It was a memory trying to break free after years of being hindered. She tried to will it back down under the layers, but as the screaming around her gradually became louder, so to did her memory. Pushing its way into her mind, demanding that she pay attention. It snapped free, and her mind was suddenly run over with a scene from her dark past.  
  
(FLASHBACK)  
  
A young child, not much older than ten, skipped through the small meadow surrounded by tall trees. She liked to think of this place as her own secret hide out. It was her place where dreams come true, and everything ended happily ever after. And in a child's mind, everything does end that way. With the knight in shinning armor coming and sweeping her off her feet from the evil tyrants that ruled her days. But something was wrong with this small one, as she had already learned life didn't end that way. No one would come and take her away. She was doomed to remain.  
  
Sitting down and letting her legs have a break, the girl picked a few of the flowers next to her. Blue ones and yellow ones, all beautiful in their own little way.  
  
She laid down onto the ground and squinted up at the sky. Watching as the clouds drifted across, and matching them to an assortment of animals. A lazy smile graced her face as she noticed a cloud that strangely resembled a squirrel. The smile left when she saw what looked to be a cloud resembling that of a wolf race across the sky and pounce on the squirrel. The squirrel left looking unwell in the wolf's wake.  
  
"Poor squirrel." She whispered into the breeze.  
  
"Aiko," a female voice called out to her, "I know you're here. Come out honney."  
  
Mama?  
  
Aiko sprang to her feet and ran over to where her mother was calling her. Her mother kneeled down to welcome her child into her loving arms. Aiko didn't waste a second as she flung her arms around her mother's neck.  
  
"Mama, your back!"  
  
The woman laughed happily into the back of her child's head. She pulled Aiko out to arms length and smiled at her. She was so happy to be back home, back where she belonged.  
  
Her eyes darted to the surrounding trees. Something was wrong here . . . it was too quiet. Just then an arrow whizzed through the air, narrowly missing its target. Motherly instinct came over her as she picked up Aiko and started to run into the trees. She had always been a good runner, hardly anyone could ever catch her if she took off at a dead run. She could feel Aiko's trembling, and hear her hushed cries.  
  
She wasn't going to allow anyone to hurt her oldest child.  
  
A flash of pain erupted in her shoulder, causing her to drop to her knees. Aiko rolled out of her arms and turned to face her mother.  
  
Her small heart sank.  
  
"Ma. Mama?"  
  
She tried to smile for her daughter, she tried to reassure her. But her strength was quickly leaving her.  
  
"I love you, Aiko."  
  
Aiko was trying to be strong for her mother, but once she heard her mothers words her world seemed to crumble away.  
  
"Mommy?"  
  
With the last bit of strength she had left, she pushed Aiko away. Wanting nothing more than to make sure that her daughter lived.  
  
"RUN!"  
  
Aiko was stuck. She didn't want to run away. She wanted to stay with her mother. What was happening? She took a tentative step toward her but stopped when her mother looked at her. The unspoken plea in her mothers eyes caused her to turn back around and run. She made it a little ways before she heard a grunt and a body crash to the ground.  
  
She whipped around and saw her mothers form lying sprawled out on the ground. A few tall men surrounding her dying body.  
  
Her mother wasn't ever going to come back. . .  
  
"MAMA!" She screamed, unsure whether to run back to her mother or run to safety.  
  
In the end, her decision was made for her as her small body dropped to the ground. She made out a few voices coming her way, but darkness quickly surrounded her. She fell into a void, one in which her mother wouldn't be there to help her out of.  
  
(END FLASHBACK)  
  
Aiko dashed away the few tears in her eyes. She had been too weak to save her mother then, but she wasn't a small child anymore. She wasn't limited to the weak arms and feeble minds of children.  
  
One lone thought crossed her mind, 'father hadn't even let me grieve no more than five minutes.' Crying, she had been tossed into her room, and told to be finished crying by the time her father came for her.  
  
Aiko knew she was heading in the right direction of the screaming as they had grown in volume. Leaping onto a near by roof, she continued on her search to find the cause of the screams. The closer she got to the screaming, the more and more she could make them out. They seemed to be coming from only males, she couldn't find a trace of a single child or woman in the sound. There was a more subtle tone coming from the surrounding noise also. Aiko frowned at this, she knew that sound. The ring of metal as it left its sheath, the gently hum as it wove through the air.  
  
Katanas.  
  
The screaming was caused by the massacre that was likely occurring.  
  
Aiko stopped running then, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to understand why it was in human's nature to kill others. Her hands fell to her sides and she clenched them into fists. Her nails breaking into her skin and allowing a slight flow of blood to coat her fingers.  
  
There was nothing she could do to save them then. Her words would hardly act as a balm the furry that hung around like a dark cloud. She shifted uneasily on her toes, caught between wanting to do something that would help to end this feud, and a deepened feeling of regret that she had left her room. She forcefully opened her eyes and decided on the former.  
  
Aiko continued on toward the direction of the screaming. She knew when she had entered the site of battle as the stench of blood filled her sense of smell. Her eyes listlessly scanned the area, taking in the forms lying on the ground. A detached sort of calm spread over her senses as she mentally commented on all the blood.  
  
She hopped off the roof, nearly slipping in a puddle of blood. Her legs coating themselves with the blood that splashed at her landing. She slowly walked along the roads, watching with blank eyes as men fell by killing blows.  
  
No man noticed the strange female dressed strangely as she strolling along the road. To consumed were they with fighting not only for their life, but also for a better future.  
  
Aiko vaguely registered a man fall down infront of her, eyes closed to the world. His face grotesquely twisted in agony in his last moments in this world. She stepped over him, not giving him the respect of walking around. She continued on, not quite sure what it was she was doing here anymore. Her emotions had left her when she looked upon all the dead bodies, leaving her feeling empty. It all had seemed like a page out of a book, that she had hardly believed it was real.  
  
She heard the almost silent hiss of a katana swinging toward her midsection. Not pausing in the slightest, she dropped to the ground to miss the swing. She brought her eyes up to meet those of the man who had only seconds ago tried to kill her. He met her gaze, but quickly stumbled away in an attempt to escape the glare pointed at him.  
  
Aiko moved like a flash of lightening. Before the man knew what was happening he found himself lying on his back, a katana pointed to his throat.  
  
"Pl . . . please don't kill me!" The man stuttered out, his words not belying his fear in the least.  
  
White anger had coursed through her veins at the notion of some one believing they had a chance to strike her. It was the raw rage that had caused her to retaliate and try to bring the pitiful mans life to an end. But she had never before taken a life, and she wouldn't allow the coward the satisfaction of being her first.  
  
She retracted the katana, only to plunge it in to ground by the man's head. She gave a small smirk as she heard him give a startled whelp in fear. Knowing he wouldn't try to attack her again, she turned her back and started back down the road. The feeling of anger once again leaving her mind to be replaced with complete hollowness.  
  
Her ears closed to the scream of the dying, even as she watched them fall. The countless names of the men falling in battle tonight would be forgotten by all but family come sunrise. The only mark left by them the memory that they were fighting to better their country.  
  
Her feet were soaked by now in the blood of others, making a squishing noise as she walked. The blood on her legs long since dried and starting to flake off. It was all a minor discomfort to her, but she ignored it anyway. Deciding instead to deal with it later, she continued on at her leisurely pace. Stopping only momentarily to watch as a man with incredible grace bring back his katana and then slice the other man down from shoulder to shoulder.  
  
The dead man crumbled with a silent cry, his katana landing near his body. The winner turned, giving her a clear view of his face, of a boyish face . . .  
  
She knew that face, she knew that man.  
  
Okita . . .  
  
~ ~  
  
The laughter in his eyes warmed her heart as surely as his smile was.  
  
"Do you have any family here yourself?"  
  
His smile never leaving his face he answered, "No. They all died when I was a little boy."  
  
Aiko whispered softly, her eyes falling to her hands resting in her lap, "I'm sorry."  
  
Okita shifted close to her and placed a soothing had on hers, "It's okay. It happened so long ago."  
  
~ ~ * *  
  
The hollowness in her filled up with her emotions once again, as the sound of katanas clashing against each other once again came to her. She took an unsteady step back, disbelief showing in her eyes. How could the kind- hearted man she had met five days ago turn out to be a man of war? An unchecked tear fell from her eye, as she was left not knowing what to believe anymore.  
  
Aiko watched as a spark of recognition crossed his face, snapping his eyes to hers. She let out a startled gasp when she saw him start to make his way towards her, his eyes never leaving hers.  
  
She wanted to turn away and run, to leave the picture of Okita killing some one behind. But the look on his face planted her to the ground, forcing her to say where she was.  
  
~ ~  
  
"Nature is a beautiful thing, though often taken for granted." He said as he gestured the surrounding area with his hand. "We love the shade a tree will bring us from the sun, yet we still cut them down for firewood and shelter."  
  
A small smile lit her face as she responded in kind, "Shade may bring us peace, but firewood and shelter bring us life."  
  
He lifted a pointing finger at her before laughing out, "True, true."  
  
~ ~ * *  
  
The man standing before her now wasn't the man she had laughed with in the small park. He just like the other men surrounding her who were covered in blood of the ones they had killed mercilessly.  
  
Almost as if by habit, Aiko lowered herself into a comfortable fighting stance. Pulling her daggers out of their hiding place in her shoes, she watched in grim satisfaction at the shocked, yet saddened look plastered on his face.  
  
She pushed her emotions aside again, leaving her with the welcome calm they left in their place. An inaudible sigh left her lips as she watched Okita follow suit. There was still indecision hidden in his eyes and in his stance. He seemed to be waging a war inside himself to fight her or not.  
  
That was all well and fine, either way, Aiko never let him have the chance to come to a decision as she had launched at him. Daggers raised in a position of attack and defense. Her moves calculated and precise, from all the training she went through with them.  
  
She didn't understand when her daggers met with flesh and tore through it. She couldn't comprehend why her hands were suddenly washed in blood. Her eyes drifted from her hands to his katana lying on the ground, having been carelessly tossed there. She sucked in a breath as she felt his arms enwrap themselves around her waist. Quickly withdrawing her daggers from his body, she opened her shaking hands and let them fall to the ground.  
  
He tightened his arms around her. Letting his head fall to rest on her shoulder, his breathing hot and heavy against her neck. Her world stopped as she heard his mumbled word, "Why?"  
  
Her knees gave out, causing her to crash to the ground, bring a hurt Okita along with her. Her whole body began to shake as tears freely flowed from her eyes. A single question repeating over and over in her mind.  
  
'Why indeed?'  
  
tbc.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
::Ducks down behind computer:: Don't hate me too bad! It really isn't that bad of a cliffy! And besides, I made it extra long this time (12 pages instead of 9)!  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Next Chapter:  
  
A certain captian isn't all that pleased when he finds out his friend got hurt . . .  
  
Wonder who that could be?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Character Notes:  
  
Aiko: Aiko pushed all her emotions away when she entered the battle site as a sort of defense. After going through all she had when she was still at home, the detached sort of self was her only way hidden. I suppose you could say that by doing this, she's actually just running from her problems.  
  
Okita: Insightful to the point of being TOO insightful. I think that's his problem. Lol. Now all I have to do is learn how to be insightful, and then I should have his character down.  
  
Aiko's Mother: Here's a question for you: If Aiko's mother is dead, then who's the strange woman she met in the second chapter? Answer: Only time will tell. Anyway, Aiko's mother was a kind hearted woman who always placed her family first. She was a well respected, and well liked individual within the family, but suffered an untimely death.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
To the reviewers: With out you two, I would have no reviews.  
  
Ione_girl: Thanks for actually signing your review! Teehee! There really isn't any comedy in this chap, but that's okay, cause next few chaps should have way more than enough to make up for it. Lol, shit. Um, next time I'm out there, I'm going to hid all your tomatoes! I love Okita and all, but it was just too easy to get him hurt. Lol, shit. So sorry so sorry! I swear, by the time this gets up, I'll have reviewed on your story . . . what are you doing? Stay away from those tomatoes . . . I warn you . . .::Thwack:: Owwie! That does it, I'll go find Aprils sessy and set him after you, you know I will. LOL, shit. kay, thanks for reading and reviewing, it really does mean a lot to me! But you get no pocky this time cause you threw tomatoes at me! -_-:: lol, shit. Teehee!  
  
Mysticicna: Teehehehehehehe! I hate to say it, but my fav part in this chap is when Okita gets hurt? I'm wrong, I know it. So yeah, you little hentai! Thinking our cute little Okita would do that . . . well, I thought that too. So yeah, if you caught that its sugar coated, good job. Well, I didn't wait too long to get this chap out, only about two to three weeks. Pretty good if you ask me compared to "Truths Tears." ::hint hint:: lol. So yeah, thanks for reviewing and all that. If it really wasn't for you two, I would have NO reviews. So it really does mean soooo much to me. You get pocky!  
  
Thanks all for reading, I still love all you other people out there!  
  
Fanfic by inca_dove  
  
@_@, glad this chap is done . . . 


	5. Beginning of Something More

Disclaimer: Aiko belongs to ione_girl, everyone else belongs to someone else.   


  
A/N: I can't help it, I love both RK and PMK, so this story is sort of a result of that. I wouldn't consider it a crossover though, since I'm not taking characters of one and placing them with the others. I am however, taking the characters and twisting them together cause, well, I'm the author and I can. I'm trying my best to stay true to them though.   


Sub-A/N: I would just like to point out that I am using ione_girl's character Aiko (from "Where are You Now") because this story is being kinda written FOR her. I've tried to keep a lot of her personality the same, like the hatred she feels for her father. Only, my version of Aiko doesn't consist of her being depressed. More like, since she had a bad life, she wants to help others have a good one.   
  
  


And now the story continues . . .   
  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
  


Honest Nothing   
  
  


Chapter Five:   
  
  


Beginning of Something More   
  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
  


Don Juan, Canto 11   
  
  


Alas! The love of a woman! It is known   


To be a lovely and fearful thing:   


For all of theirs upon that die is thrown, and if 'tis lost, life hast   


To them but mockeries of the past alone, and their revenge is as a tiger's spring,   


Deadly, and quick, and crushing: yet as real torture is theirs, what they inflict they feel.........   
  
  


~ Lord Byron   


(ll. 145-52)   
  
  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
  
  


Last time on Honest Nothing   
  
  


~ ~ * * ~ ~ * * ~ ~   
  
  


He tightened his arms around her. Letting his head fall to rest on her shoulder, his breathing hot and heavy against her neck. Her world stopped as she heard his mumbled question, "Why?"   
  
  


Her knees gave out, causing her to crash to the ground, bring a hurt Okita along with her. Her whole body began to shake as tears freely flowed from her eyes. The single question repeating over and over in her mind.   
  
  


'Why indeed?'   
  
  


~ ~ * * ~ ~ * * ~ ~   
  
  


Silence surrounded her, invaded her every thought as warmth oozed onto her stomach. She faintly wondered where the warmth was coming from on such a cold night, then she remembered. Okita. She had stabbed him, and his blood was the warmth seeping in through her sleeping yukata.   
  
  


"Oh god, what have I done?" Guilt laced her words as she whispered them into the night. What was it that had made her strike against him? He was the first person to ever show an ounce of kindness to her, and she had repaid that kindness by stabbing him.   
  
  


Her stomach lurched at the thought. She wasn't even quite sure where she had hurt him, but the blood on her hands was testimony of the deed. Aiko brought her arms up to shakily hold him to her, as if that would erase the pain she had caused. Even as men continued to fall around her, she didn't want to let him go for fear that he would suddenly disappear into thin air.   
  
  


A choked laugh caught her attention then, bring her eyes to the man she held. "You stabbed me, that's what."   
  
  


Aiko looked at him incredulously. She had just stabbed the man, and there he was making light of the situation. And was it just her, or was the smile in his eyes as big as the smile on his face? 'Maybe,' she allowed her self to briefly hope, 'maybe I didn't hurt him that badly.' She was happy about that, but she felt a little disappointed also.   
  
  


Okita's arms loosened their hold on her waist as he shifted his position in favor of laying his cheek on her lap. Her lap acted as a sort of soft pillow, and Okita unconsciously snuggled deeper into it. He could fall asleep like this, even with the rocks poking him in his stomach.   
  
  


The world around Aiko seemed oddly peaceful, as if the fighting had finally come to a close. It almost felt right to have Okita lying down with his head resting on her lap. That was of course, if you discounted the fact that his creating a pool of itself on the ground. 

She lifted her hands to Okita's head and wove her fingers through his hair, marveling at its soft texture. A soft chuckle escaped her as she compared his hair to that of corn silk.   
  
  


But peace is a fragile thing, much like a rose, that once clipped from its family it becomes lonely and will slowly wither away. And so to was this fragile peace that Aiko had found Okita and herself in. Shattered quickly by the drawing of a katana, no more than a few feet away.   
  
  


The almost silent hiss drew their attention away from each other to the man standing by them, katana poised to strike out at Okita's unprotected back. Okita tried to roll to the side in order to distance himself from the fatal blow, but found himself instead crushed to the ground, rivulets of dark hair tickling his eyes. He let out a small groan as the impact jarred his still bleeding shoulder. His attention directed more toward Aiko's small body, who had thrown herself on him. He watched, as if in slow motion, as the katana flew down and firmly planted itself into Aiko's side, pinning her to the ground below. He vaguely registered Aiko's grip on his sides tighten as her blood curdling scream cut through the air.   
  
  


Okita spared a look at the offender before gently removing his body out from under Aiko's. His movements slow and calculated, much like a panther stalking its pray, he stood and walked to where his own katana sat. With his back turned to the man he crouched down and lifted his weapon. Half expecting the coward to have ran away already, Okita turned his head to look over his shoulder and was mildly surprised to find the man still standing by Aiko's prone body.   
  
  


The man's hands still tightly grasped the hilt of his katana as his unclear eyes rose to Okita. Vaguely looking past him to the area around him. He didn't notice as Okita slowly turned and waked toward him. It wasn't until Okita finally spoke that the man registered his presence.   
  
  


Okita painted on his smile, and left only his eyes to continue to glare at the man. When he spoke, his words were eerily calm, as if merely commenting on the weather.   
  
  


"You spilt an innocents blood, and it will be my honor to spill yours."   
  
  


The man's eyes took on a slightly clouded look as he stumbled back a step. His voice cracking with unsuppressed fear, he tried in vain to come to reason with Okita. The prospect that he might have just ended an innocent's life flashing across his thoughts.   
  
  


"I . . .No, it's not . . .I didn't think . . ."   
  
  


Okita barely batted an eyelash as he stopped the man from continuing on his plea. The man's body crumbled to the ground, an abandoned cry lodged in his throat. His dull eyes opened to the world around him, as if still watching a life he no longer owned.   
  
  


Okita quickly cleaned his blade of the blood dripping off of it, then moved back over to Aiko. Checking the wound that was still filled with the katana, Okita out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. Relief washed over him at the knowledge that Aiko's life wasn't in danger. True, her wound could prove to be fatal if left unattended to, but he would make sure she recovered.   
  
  


He leaned down to whisper into her ear, regardless if she heard him or not. "Your going to be okay now Aiko-san." With that, he grasped the hilt the katana and slowly eased it out of her side, causing a groan from Aiko. Flinging it aside he then placed his now empty hands on her side and added pressure to help stop the bleeding. His own wound forgotten the moment Aiko had received hers.   
  
  


~ * ~   
  
  


A flash of pain had gone through Aiko's body when the katana sliced through her skin. She had tried to hold the pain back, to keep it at bay, but in the end it won over her and sent her into a spiraling darkness. The last thing she remembered was a slight movement from beneath her, and then it all was black.   
  
  


She could sense her consciousness slipping back, begging to be woken up. But the more and more awake she became, the more she was aware of the pain in her side. She clutched at the darkness, wanting to bring back the painlessness it carried in its arms, unwilling to be welcomed back into the world of light and pain. It was all for not she knew, but she tried desperately regardless.   
  
  


A sound drifted across her consciousness, dragging her attention to it. So soft and melodious it appeared to be, almost singing for her a lullaby to wake up fully. Aiko listened to it as it wove its way around her thoughts, whispering of times long and gone. It sounded so familiar to her, she wondered to whom this voice belonged to.   
  
  


A sudden pain in her side brought her out of her musings and back to the world she strongly wanted to stay away from. Cracking her eyelids open she was met with darkness. Had she slept through the rest of that night and the next day? She didn't want to recall any of it, so when she felt her consciousness start to slip away again, she greatly accepted it. Enwrapping herself in the dreamless sleep, it welcomed her.   
  
  


~ * ~   
  
  


Okita sat in the corner of the room with his katana gently resting against his shoulder, a light sleep hovering over him. He had brought Aiko back with him with the rest of the Shinsengumi. A crooked smile played at his lips as he remembered the reaction THAT had brought him from Hijikata. Yes, the image would stay with him for as long as his lungs drew breath. Hijikata with a perplexed look - very uncommon for him - and a mumbled "hn." Hijikata himself had probably been thinking, "Wow, so Okita isn't gay."   
  
  


Waking from his daze his eyes drifted to Aiko's slumbering form, making sure she was still breathing. His feelings about the girl confused him to no end. He wasn't sure what to think anymore, something that annoyed him to a great deal. He was always up to a challenge, but normally those occurred with Saitou and a katana. She, on the other hand, presented something much more than a challenge, she was the very presence of confusion.   


There was one thing he knew about her, she wasn't who she was acting to be, her ability to fight proved his theory on this.   
  
  


Yawning, Okita thought it better to think on this later. Right now, all he wanted was more sleep.   
  
  


~ * ~   
  
  


Chirp . . .   
  
  


Chirp . . .   
  
  


CHRIP, CHIRP, CHIRP . . .   
  
  


Aiko pulled her blanket over her head to muffle the sound of the happily singing birds. It was too early, couldn't nature's alarm clock give her at least five more minutes? Ah yes, more sleep, more wonderful sleep.   
  
  


It was a little warm under the blankets, but at least she couldn't hear the birds anymore.   
  
  


Chirp . . . chirp.   
  
  


CHIRP   
  
  


Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Aiko sat up, the blankets pooling around her waist. All she wanted was more sleep, which was apparently too much to ask for.   
  
  


"Mornings too cruel." Aiko mumbled as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.   
  
  


With a sudden lurch of pain in her side, Aiko promptly laid back down. Wincing as the dull throb slowly eased. She brought her hand to lay on her side as the occurrences of last night ran through her mind in a tangled mess. Aiko remembered watching as countless bodies fell around her, remembered meeting up with Okita followed by attacking him. She remembered the katana flying toward Okita, throwing her body over his to protect him and the racking pain that followed shortly after. But after that, nothing.   
  
  


'I'm not dead am I?'   
  
  
  
Chirp . . .chirp.   
  
  


Nope, she wasn't dead. The annoying birdy song threw that thought out of mind.   
  
  


Well, if she wasn't dead, then where was she? Aiko let her eyes scan the surrounding area, looking for something she would recognize. Her eyes stopped when she saw a sleeping form sitting in the corner of the room.   
  
  


Yep, she recognized him at least.   
  
  


A small smile lit her face as she thought of how sweet he was to watch over her the whole night. This time very slowly and carefully, Aiko sat up, dropping her hand to rest on her injured side again. A confused look crossed her features then. Her yukata felt different, courser . . . bigger?   
  
  


Her gaze drifted from the sleeping man to her yukata. Aiko's brows furrowed, and she bit her lip. Her yukata wasn't any different, all that might have been different about it would be that it was coated with dry blood. The thing was, she wasn't wearing HER yukata, she was wearing someone else's sleeping yukata.   
  
  


Her gaze traveled to Okita's body, back to the yukata, back to Okita, back to the yukata.   
  
  


Mindful that even a sleeping man wouldn't get to see her flash him, she slightly pulled the edges of the yukata back to find that her injury had been bandaged. By the looks of it, quite skillfully too.   
  
  


Chirp . . .   
  
  


Her gaze snapped back to Okita. Closing the yukata back up, she mentally did her math. One and one makes two, two and one makes three. Anger flared to life in her eyes, seemingly to light her eyes from a dark brown to bright shade of red.   
  
  


She took a deep breath, and prepared to scream holy murder.   
  
  


"BAAAKKKAAAA!"   
  
  


If there were any men still in bed, then the shaking of the building from the scream would have surely woken them up.   
  
  


Okita's eyes snapped open the instant the scream reached his ears. He expected to find the place under attack, not a female staring daggers at him.   
  
  


To say that he was confused would be an understatement. He hadn't done anything wrong to warrant her wrath had he?   
  
  


"Ano . . .?"   
  
  


~ * ~   
  
  


Harada was hungry, and the fish bone he was currently chewing wasn't helping him any. Stepping out of his room, he casually started to make his way toward the kitchens where food would greet him.   
  
  


"Mmm, food."   
  
  


His stomach agreed with the thought whole heartily as it growled loudly.   
  
  


"You . . . you . . . HENTAI!"   
  
  


Harada stopped in mid stride, looking around himself for the one the scream came from. He shrugged his shoulders when he couldn't spot anyone. Apparently, he wasn't the person the scream was directed at. He almost pitied the poor fool it was directed toward though.   
  
  


An even louder growl came from his stomach, reminding him of his quest for food. Patting his tummy, he tried to assuage its growing hunger.   
  
  


"Don't worry, foods just around the corner."   
  
  


Another voice filtered through the morning air, causing his curiosity to peek.   
  
  


"Now, now Aiko-san. You were . . ."   
  
  


That sounded an awful lot like Okita. Even better, an Okita with a very, very angry harpy. Harada had to stifle his laughter when he heard the angry harpy yell out some very unlady like words.   
  
  


His hunger momentarily forgotten, Harada silently made his way to Okita's shoji. Leaning next to it, he placed his ear on the shoji so he could listen better. Though he really had no need to do so, the angry harpy's voice was loud enough to wake every one else up.   
  
  


"What are you doing?"   
  


  
Harada turned a guilty smile over his head and laughed at his buddy, "Shhh! Okita's having a lover's quarrel with his harpy."

Nagakura's eyebrows rose at the mention of Okita having a lover's quarrel with a girl he had supposedly just met. Walking up beside Harada, he proceeded to place his ear against the shoji.

"So what if I was hurt, you didn't have to change my CLOTHING!"

The force of the last word sent Harada and Nagakura tumbling to the ground, shaken. That didn't last long though, as in a matter of seconds they were back up with ears plastered to the shoji. 

"What are you two doing?"

Harada and Nagakura's muscles visibly tensed at the question. Turning their heads in unison to look over their shoulder to where Hijikata stood, they whispered, "Shhh! Okita's having a lover's quarrel with his harpy."   
  
  


Hijikata quirked an amused eyebrow, "So ka?"   
  
  


The pair bobbed their heads up and down, then promptly placed their ears back on the shoji so they didn't miss anything more.   
  
  


"Kami! You undressed me! You perving, sexually repressed . . .midget!"   
  
  


Hijikata felt the unmistakable urge to fall over and laugh. Of course, he didn't, he just continued to stand behind the pair. He did however, unintentionally or not, move a few inches closer toward the shoji.   
  
  


THWAK   
  
  


Harada couldn't take anymore, he crumbled to the ground holding his stomach as his body began to shake from laughter.   
  
  


All three were highly amused when Okita was sent flying from the room, landing in a dusty heap on the ground next to the still laughing Harada. Articles of his belongings landing shortly after next to him.   
  
  


Okita made to stand up, but was thrown down again when something heavy landed on top of him, successfully pinning him to the ground.   
  
  


Hijikata slowly raised his eyebrow in amusement before simply stating, "Okita-san."   
  
  


Okita, lying underneath the futon that had previously been in his room, laughed softly before responding, "Hijikata-kun."   
  
  


Wiping the tears from his eyes, Harada looked over to Okita and managed to get in between laughs, "midget . . .sex . . .depriev . . .Kami that's great!"   
  
  


Tbc.   
  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
  


Well, that chapter was relatively fun to write. Couldn't stop laughing myself! Heehee! But, yeah, its not a cliffy! Woohoo!   
  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
  


Next chapter:   
  
  


Only time will tell . . .   
  
  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
  


Character Notes:   
  
  


Aiko: . . .mad . . .at Okita . . .   
  
  


Okita: . . .confused . . .but still Okita . . .   
  
  


Harada: Captain of the tenth squad of the Shinsengumi, if my memory serves me right. Lets see, he was the character design for Sano in the RK series, so I used Sano's personality for him. Besides that, yeah, I have more research to do . . .where's ione_girl when I need her?   


  
Nagakura: Is there ever a time when Nagakura isn't with Harada?  


*~*~*~*~*~*~*   
  
  


To my reviewers: Monster cookies for you both!   
  
  


Ione_girl: If you actually found last chapter funny, I'm sure you loved this one. ::pea's slide down face . . . grabs cabbage . . .:: Take that! Ha!   
  
  


Mysticinca (aka lillithan): Yes, yes, I must confess, I did enjoy writing the last chapter. But I found this one to be WAY more enjoyable to write. Teehee! Its always good to hear that someone likes my style! ::glares at ione_girl:: lol   
  
  


For everyone else who is faithfully reading my story, I love you people, even though you seem to have a phobia of reviewing. Lol.   
  
  


Fanfic by inca_dove   
  
  


*_* Gad, I don't think I'll be able to think for a week now that I've wrote this chapter!


	6. The Other Half

****

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters really, but I did play with them to fit into my twisted story. Aiko belongs to Ione_girl.

****

A/N: Phew, now that was sorta hard to write. But besides all that, the story is FINALLY getting to the good stuff. It only took me like, what, six chapters to do so! And now college is starting to get really stressful, so my chapters may start coming a little slower. But I don't really know, so don't hold me to that. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

Honest Nothing

****

Chapter Six:

****

The Other Half

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

****

Laments of Love 

The look from your eyes

Always, unwanted goodbyes

I feel your lips so close to mine

A sensation yet so divine

Passion unspoken on your lips

My control nearly slips

My eyes gaze into yours

Suddenly my heart soars

Tenderness is in your touch

I need you so much

My breath is heavy, uneven

Please don't tell me your leavin

All I want is to be next to you

But I don't know what else to do

Help me I shouldn't feel this way

In your arms I want to stay

To hurt others I cannot do

All I want is to stay with you... 

__

~*MysticInca*~ 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If he tried hard enough, he could almost imagine that the woman sitting in front of him was actually the one he had met so long ago. That her time hardened face would smooth out to that of the sixteen year olds. To the one who he had cherished with every waking moment. But try as he might, she didn't change, and continued to be the same. 

Okita realized that though they shared the same body, they were still two different individuals. Only, the one he had known seemed lost to him forever. Buried underneath layers of hate and pain. He would have given everything to save her from what it was that had changed her so. 

He continued to smile, to laugh at the parts of the story that awoke happy times. But still he wished that time and fate had not been against them. That they were still nine years in the past, enjoying the simple pleasures of one another's company. But even as he continued to laugh and smile, somehow it all felt like a lie to him, more so than it ever had in the past. 

For all that, he was most sorry for. 

Aiko wondered why it was that Okita seemed to be the same now, as he was when she had first met him. His appearance may have altered, but one could only expect that time would do that. His smile, his laugh, all of it brought back the feelings she had thought were long since dead. She knew that she had cared for him then, possibly even loved, but she had worked so hard after they had been torn apart to kill those feelings. 

As she listened to his voice ring out in bursts of laughter, she could feel the ice chip and melt. Leaving her with a sense of vulnerability. It made her feel open, it made her feel like she was once again swept away in the magic that surrounded him. But most of all, it made her love him even more. And that was the worst punishment she could ever deal to herself, as she would never be allowed to live a happy life with him. Never. She cursed herself as she found that she would forever be doomed to hope for the life that she never had the chance to live. She cursed herself for wanting to relive the past with him. But above all, she cursed herself for loving him. 

For all that, she hated herself more. 

* * * 

If you placed the day into a mathematical equation, and subtracted the person called Aiko, then the day would have followed along quite normally. After that mornings strange occurrences everything could just not fall into place as it should have. Her mere presence seemed to cause those select few who knew about her to walk as though they carried a dull blade. It was quite annoying really. 

Hijikata sighed to himself, 'She's a nuisance.' 

He sat in his room, a cup of cold tea placed infront of his prone form. His thoughts, which would under normal circumstances be centered on his role of in the Shinsengumi, now centered on the thorn in his side. Which oddly enough, presented its self in the form of an adolescent woman. 

'Something must be done.' And that something, he was almost sure of but not quiet. He couldn't allow her to freely walk around, the men would think of her as another prostitute thus causing their focus to wane more than it already had. Nope, definitely not. He could give her a job, but from what the reports had to say about her, he didn't believe that she would prove useful serving food and tea. So if not those two options, then what? 

Hijikata gave a moment to contemplate the advantages of just throwing her out would be. Probably few, as Okita would likely run out and grab the little harlot to bring her back. 

This Aiko was starting to give him a headache. 

Then, quiet suddenly, the answer became clear to him. If she couldn't serve food or walk around, then she would just simply have to stay in her room. 

'Erm, well, Okita's room that is.' 

For some reason, Hijikata disliked that option the most . . . 

~ * ~ 

Aiko could almost live like this, with Okita constantly looking up on her. Bringing her food when she was hungry and tea when she was thirsty. It had been roughly around three months since she had last had a decent meal, so this was a welcome change to her. The only down part was that her side ached enough to keep her appetite at bay, and Okita's constant worry was starting to give her a headache. 

But besides all that, she could live like this, like a goddess Okita seemed almost willing to worship. 

Aiko's eyes scanned the surrounding walls, taking in their blankness. She listened as the noises from outside her shoji slowly lessened in intensity. Life outside seemed to be finally slowing down. It was a wonderful reprieve from the ruckus that kept her unable to sleep. 

A slow, almost tentative knock spurred her away from her thoughts and to the silhouette of the man behind the shoji. 

"Come in." She hesitantly spoke, bringing her covers up to more fully cover her body as she did so. 

~ * ~ 

Okita casually strolled into Hijikata's room, Saizo comfortably resting in the crook of his arm. 

"You wanted to see me Hijikata-san?" 

Hijikata looked up and regarded at the almost childish man standing in his shoji. 

"It's about Aiko-san . . ." 

~ * ~ 

Strangely enough, Aiko wasn't surprised when Okita opened the shoji and walked in. The pig though, was enough to send her mind reeling. But besides all that, she wasn't in the mood for Okita's cheerfulness. She wanted sleep, and sleep she would be sure to have. 

"I'm not really hungry right now, but thank you anyway." She said almost tentatively. Cause well, you know, she didn't see any food around and was almost scared of the other reasons he could be coming to see her. 

Okita chuckled softly before sitting down next to her futon. A slightly worried look crossed his face as his gaze traveled down to Aiko's injured side. 

"Your bandages need to be changed." 

Aiko unconsciously placed her hand over her side as she visibly tensed. She was NOT going to let Okita change her bandages. True, he had been the one to originally put them on her, but she hadn't been awake at that time to protest. 

"I know." 

Okita looked at her bewilderedly, his lavender eyes blinking twice as he starred at her sitting form. He was slightly confused when she answered in such a way, as to give the impression that she didn't care if he changed her bandages himself. Saizo, the mischievous pig, was set down by his master's side and per usual glared. Cautiously moving toward Aiko, his hands went for the blanket that covered her bandages from him. 

Watching and noticing the movements the man by her was making, Aiko's eyes narrowed a bit. She inched slowly backwards as his hand continued on its gradual course toward his once blanket. 

Okita's eyes widened a bit more at her movements away from him, bringing a more childish look to his face. He wasn't quite sure, but he suspected she was playing with him. 

"Ano . . ." 

Okita stopped momentarily when he finally noticed Aiko's grip on the blankets had gotten much more deathly. Not completely understanding what was going on he sat back once more and looked at her confusedly. First she was teasing him, and then by the way the blankets appeared she seemed on the verge of murdering him. What exactly was going on? Okita didn't know what to say anymore, anything that he did for the good of her only resulted in raising her ire. 

"Ano . . .?" 

"What were you about to do?" Her voice though soft and slow, held the promise of doom if he started to reach for her again. 

"Ano . . . change your bandages?" 

Hadn't she just told him subtlety not to change them? She could do it perfectly herself, she didn't need an extra pair of hands to help. 

Okita gave a sigh of resignation, if he was going to tell her, he best make it soon. Picking up Saizo back into his arms, Okita stood up in his white yukata and returned his gaze onto Aiko. 

"Aiko-san, there is something that I must tell you." 

His face went from his more usual childish to a more serious _expression; his eyes now changed so much so that it would scare poor Tetsu away. Still, Aiko's gaze never left his, almost as if she was waiting for him to confess his love for her. Which was quite a silly thought actually. 

"Under strict reasons unknown, you are confined to this room." The sudden boyish smile returned to his face, "So if you need anything don't hesitate to ask." 

Before Aiko could make any objections about what had been just said, Okita had promptly turned his back on her and left his room. Her mouth dropped to the floor, what did he mean she was confined? No way was she going to be stuck in this place. Once her wounds finally healed she would be back on the road continuing her duty to the family. But before she could leave, she would have to heal, and in order to heal, she needed new bandages. 

Trying to stand from her confinement of blankets, Aiko felt a jolt of pain shoot up her side. Then again, her bandages could always wait just a little longer. 

~ * ~ 

Okita sighed once more and shook his head. Well, he had certainly broken the news to her unceremoniously. So if Aiko was currently going to be in his room, where was he going to sleep? Hijikata was absolutely twisting up his life and nothing seemed to be getting any better. Two hands suddenly grabbed onto Okita's shoulders making him stop rather abruptly. He looked back tiredly to see the two people who had seized him, only to come nose to nose with the smiling faces of Nagakura and Harada. 

"So, I believe there's a girl in your room now eh?" Asked the devious looking Nagakura as his face went round. 

'Yes, a rather confusing one at that.' 

"Hai." 

Harada's face jolted in front of his buddy's. 

"Then . . . I guess you're not gay." 

Okita's eyebrow twitched and there was without warning a loud 'THWAK' that was heard. Sitting on the floor with his hands rubbing his injured head was Sano. Nagakura on the other hand was on the floor laughing hysterically, holding his stomach hoping it wouldn't burst. Okita exhaled and walked away from the pair on the floor. He didn't particularly need, nor want, their company at that moment. 

He continued to walk until he found himself inside the dojo, a place he didn't spend much time in. Sad eyes roved over the polished flooring, watching as ghosts of the past came to life in an intricate dance of gentle arcing bodies. A weary smile darkened his face as he remembered being at the fragile age of nine, sparing and learning the moves that would one day save his life. The moves would save his life, but also end those of countless others. 

Okita moved to the center of the grand dojo, his ears picking up imagined grunts of some child being thrown to the floor. A silent vow that the child would become the best, the strongest. Never did that child know under which circumstances he would lose his soul to the fight. 

Okita sat down, his pet pig long forgotten, and placed his head in his hands. An overwhelming sadness hung over him, but his eyes continued to feign happiness. He remembered sitting in such a position in that exact spot. Only then, instead of being the first captain of the Shinsengumi, he was merely nothing more than a broken child waiting for the day that his mother would come and save him. Waiting for the day when she would pick him up and hold him tightly to her chest and whisper in his ear that it was all okay, that mommy would make it better. 

But his mother never came; she never whispered what he wanted to hear. And in a way, Okita almost blamed her for becoming the man he was. 

He sat there long into the night, resembling much of that broken child. A weary man who never got the chance to become anything more than the soulless warrior that killed for the good of Japan. 

~ * ~ 

For the first time in the three months she had been away, Aiko wanted to go home. She missed her sister, and the way that she could always light up her day. Even if she thought that Takara was a pain more than not, she still wanted to see her. Maybe it was just that she missed the carefree times of those days, but she hardly thought that was the case. In all reality, she had every reason to not want to ever go home. 

When her time was up, and she went home, it would be to a new life of leadership. 

Aiko sat up in her futon, her hand sliding down to gently rest against her side, as her mind drifted off to thoughts of her mother. She had been so strong at heart, the only constant in her life that kept her rooted to the ground. It was strange though, for all her strength and love, she never appeared to be quite happy. Aiko remembered watching as her mother would walk into the forest at night and spend hours just gazing at the stars. She never understood why, but it was at times like those, that her mother seemed to be the happiest. 

And then, her mother died. The one person who least dissevered to die, did, and the family had never been the same since. Aiko almost envied her sister, she was too young to remember their mother in the ways that she did. Her father had been more like a tyrant than anything more at those times. He took over her training to become the leader then. Saying that he would teacher her to be strong and proud, nothing like her mother was. 

But there were good times, few of them, but they were still there. Even though Aiko had problems remembering them, she knew they were just hiding from the pain the bad times wrought. 

Aiko sighed and laid back down on the futon, such thoughts were better left alone. She had to concentrate on the right now, not the then. It would only leave her with a feeling of anger, and that was the last thing she needed to be feeling. So what if she would become the leader of her ninja clan, so what if she still had to find out who killed her parents. All that didn't matter if she didn't become better. 

The soft chirping of the crickets crossed her ears, leaving her feeling even more home sick than before. Aiko slowly stood up, being careful not to jar her side as she did so. She wanted to go outside and get some air, and one man's command that she not leave her room was not enough to actually keep her there. 

Aiko softly padded her way to the shoji and out of the room, leaving behind her feeling of helplessness. The cool night air drifted across her clammy skin, bringing with it a renewed sense of peace. A slow smile crossed her lips as she lifted her eyes up to the night sky and the lights that dotted it. 

'Are you up there mom? Are you watching over me? Are . . . are you proud of me?' 

A crystal tear slowly fell from Aiko's eyes and landed in the dirt, creating a small pool of sorrow. She cautiously traveled across the grounds, marveling at how empty it seemed. With no destination in mind, she wandered until she found herself standing in front the largest part of the compounds. Curiously Aiko opened the shoji to see what lay inside the building. 

What greeted her sight was something she wasn't quite prepared to see. Okita sat in the middle of the room, his head cradled in his hands. Her feet were frozen to the spot, she didn't know whether to run or stay. He appeared to be so sad that Aiko could feel her heart start to break for him. In the end, her comforting nature won over and she soon found herself nestled comfortably next to the man. 

With out taking a second look at Okita, Aiko calmly placed her hand in his, leaning her head to gently rest against his shoulder. A contented smile crossed her face as a strange feeling of total serenity engulfed her. 

"Couldn't sleep?" 

Aiko's eyes widened at the tone of his voice, missing the cheer it usually held. So her guess was right after all, something was wrong with him. Her smile faded into a frown as she wondered why she cared whether he was happy or not. It didn't matter anyway, she was going to bring back the smile to his face. 

"And by the looks of things, neither could you." 

Aiko caught the rumbling in his chest before she heard his chuckling. But even his laughter was devoid of the merriment it normally carried. It sounded more like that of a broken man than that of happiness. Closing her eyes, Aiko wondered what it was that was weighing over him. 

"Aiko-san, who are you?" It was a just a whispered question, but it shocked her none the less. 

Brown eyes locked with lavender, as Aiko removed her hand from his. Who was she, she was Isami Aiko, next in line to become leader of a ninja clan. But she couldn't tell him that, it was something he probably didn't want to know. 

"I am only Aiko, the young woman who challenged the Shinsengumi and lived." 

Okita's gaze was closed as he smiled slightly, turning he looked off into the darkness of the room once more. 

Aiko worried her lower lip before asking softly, "Who are you, Okita-san?" 

Okita sighed softly before he answered, "I am a child trapped within the body of a man. I am a boy who never lived a childhood. I am an Oni, a demon, not by choice but by circumstances. I am a man who never loses faith in what he believes, and I fight for those beliefs with all that I can." A pause, Okita turned his lavender gaze to Aiko and with a soft smile still tugging on his lips, "I am also very confused. Out of all of the people I have helped, you are the only one that has fought against me each time I try." 

Aiko blushed. 

"Ano, I have a hard time excepting help. I apologize." 

Okita stared hard into her eyes before he spoke softly, "Never apologize for how you feel. I did not know and should have asked, I will respect your wishes." 

For some reason, Okita's statement brought a sour taste to her mouth. Did she want him to leave her alone? Well . . . He did just bring her here and undress her. 

__

He was taking care of your wounds, baka! 

Well did he have to remove ALL of her clothes! 

__

How else would he get to the wound on your side! 

But the honorable thing would have been to be discrete about it! 

__

And how do you know he looked? 

But . . . he . . . argh! Okay fine! 

__

Even if he did, did he like what he saw? 

A warm blush tinted Aiko's cheeks at the sudden turn of her thoughts. Oh dear Kami, she did not just think that! Yet she couldn't find the strength to argue further with herself, she did secretly wonder. 

Okita raised a brow at Aiko's blushing face. 

"Aiko-san, what are you thinking about?" 

His innocent question darkened the red over her cheeks. Okay, lie! 

"Nothing." 

Okita chuckled softly. His voice turned a hair huskier, "Hmm, seems you just had an interesting thought?" 

Aiko really wished the ground would open up and suck her in that very moment. Of course she was having an interesting thought, she was thinking about if he liked the way she looked while in the nude. 

"Honestly, its nothing." Aiko attempted to stand but in her haste she tripped over the extra length of her yukata. 

And landed in Okita's arms? 

"Eep! I'm so sorry. I tripped over this stupid yukata..." Aiko's words trailed off as she gazed up and realized she was a bit close to Okita's face. Close enough to feel the warm puffs of his breath against her lips. Aiko honestly didn't think she could blush any darker yet found out that in fact she could. 

His light eyes darkened and narrowed slightly, his often gentle hands tightened around her waist and brought her body closer to his. Aiko stiffened but couldn't find the strength to move away from his penetrating gaze. Her breathing increased and she was aware enough to notice his had gone deeper. 

"Okita, what are . . ." 

She didn't have a chance to finish her question as she found his lips tenderly resting atop her own. 

A kiss. A kiss from Okita. Why was he kissing her? Mmm, soft. 

Aiko's thought forming functions shorted out and her brain considered a reboot but quickly agreed with the lips. Yes, very soft and very nice. 

Okita's hands inched upward and grazed below Aiko's breasts, his thumb brushed softly against their sides and drew a sharp gasp from her red lips. His mind was screaming foul play and he was trying to stop, but other pieces of his anatomy were cheering him on. Yet at her soft gasp as he tentatively grazed the undersides of her breasts, Okita's brain lost control of his body and he was possessed with need. Their kiss deepened and Okita swiftly lifted one hand behind her head to steady her as he made love to her mouth. His tongue seeking entrance while lapping against her lips until she moaned lightly. 

She had never felt anything so good before. His kiss, his touch reduced her to nothing more than a muddle of mush. As he gained entrance to her mouth, Aiko cried out softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands burying themselves within his long hair. 

"Souji . . ." 

Reality crashed upon Okita's shoulders the instant he heard her murmur his given name. With a start he pulled away, what the hell was he thinking! Only moments ago he would have had no problem with taking her right there in the middle of the dojo on the cold floor. But with her softly whispered utterance of his name, he woke up. 

"Aiko-san, I apologize. I should not have kissed you." 

Aiko was still floating somewhere up near cloud nine as she responded, "Don't be sorry, I liked it." 

Passion flared to life once more and Okita forcefully grabbed control over it. He. Would. Not. Lose. Control! 

"What's wrong, Souji?" 

Oh Kami! Why did his name have to sound so good coming from her mouth. Okita groaned softly as Aiko pressed herself closer to his body. Her bright eyes gazed into his and he barely registered a look of panic and worry in their dark depths. 

"Souji?" 

Okita lifted a hand to her cheek, his callused thumb tracing her jawbone. 

"I'm fine Aiko-san. But if I kissed you any longer, I may not have bee able to stop." 

Aiko's eyes widened as she suddenly realized what she had just currently been doing and where she was currently sitting. With a soft squeak, Aiko leapt off of Okita's lap and unfortunately forgot about his grip around her waist as they fell against the cold wooden floor. Aiko's eyes grew comically wide when she registered their new position. She was flat on her back with him resting between her legs. 

Okita felt his cheeks flush and a chuckle broke free from his throat. He simply couldn't resist the urge to harass her. 

"Aiko-san, you make such a soft pillow." 

Large brown eyes narrowed as Okita sighed and laid his head against her chest. Even though a heavy blush stained her cheeks and minus the fact that she had been kissing him merely moments ago, Aiko took in a deep breath and screamed. 

"HENT...mfph!" 

Aiko glared at the smiling face above her, Okita's hand tightly clasp over her mouth eliminating any possible sound she could make. 

"Shhh, Aiko-san." 

She sneered. And then she bit him. But he didn't let go, instead his smile grew wider and a throaty laugh began. 

"Ah! She shows her colors at last, wild and untamed." Okita released his grip over her mouth but still didn't move from their compromising position. 

"Get off of me, please." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she tried to stop the rapid beating of her heart. 

Okita's laughter stopped, his smile still present as he slowly rose above her. She quickly scrambled away and adjusted her clothing. When she was certain everything was decently covered, Aiko looked back at the man sitting before her. His eyes hidden behind his dark bangs and his hands tightly clenched over his thighs. 

"Okita-san? What is it?" 

"Aiko-san. I apologize, I was being too forward." 

She couldn't help it, she rolled her eyes as she crawled toward him and pushed his chin up to look into his eyes. 

"Oh give it a rest, Okita-kun." And with that she leaned in and pressed her lips against his, her simple kiss turning wild and passionate within seconds until she forced herself to pull away. 

"I like it." Her hand curved against his cheek and her thumb brushed over his lips. With a sigh she stood up and turned to walk away only to stop and glance over her shoulder. 

"Well? Aren't you tired? Don't you want to come to bed?" Her cheeks flushed again at the double meaning that phrase carried. 

A quirked eyebrow was her response, he shook his head no and waved her off. Okita watched her walk away, his eyes narrowing as he let his hidden emotions come back to the surface. A tender smile touched his lips, "I know who you are Aiko. You are the other half of my soul." 

"Buki?" 

Okita giggled, "Ah Saizo!" He lifted the small piglet up and stared into his wide eyes, "So what do you think?" 

Snort, "buki." 

Okita laughed then stood, his pet carefully tucked in the crook of his arm and left the large room. 

"It's going to be hell practicing in here now." 

Tbc.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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Next Chapter:

Any one here like LEMON aid? I know I do! 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Character Notes: 

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Aiko: To get character development, you need to give your characters some depth. So I tried that out with Aiko and Okita, hope it turned out alright.

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Okita: Did any of you notice how when Okita was thinking about when he was nine, he sorta seemed a little like Tetsu? The whole becoming stronger part that is. 

Hijikata: um, dark and mysterious? Yeah, but we all love him anyways! *.*!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

To the reviewers! 

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Dagger: I must say, I think Okita and Hijikata are a beautiful couple! That could be why I wrote one, lol. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, I'm swimming in your praise! 

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Ione_girl: well, I finally brought it back to the present Aiko and Okita. Only I didn't do any description at all, I only did emotions. Cause well, you know, that's kinda what I think I can write best. Lol. Glad to hear my scene with Nagakur and Harada made you laugh. Made me laugh too! ::Lime pie smears inca's view:: thanks a lot, now I cant even find my computer! BAKA!! ::grabs the thing closest to her, feels oddly like hair, and throws it at ione:: ::smears pie remains away from face, then blanches:: OH GOD! I threw my Naraku at you! ::Grabs him back, glares evily:: you cant have my Naraku! ::Glomps Naraku:: Teehee HE!!

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me....or you ??? the confused one! ME!: First off, you unnamed person you! Log in! Cause I know where you are, and I can still away you sessy from you. Cause I have the daddy, and you know sessy wants to see his daddy right? Lol. Jk. Thanks yous! Yeah, we all know character development is not my forte! ::Throws down Naraku, grabs Hijikata and pinches his cheeks:: Isn't he just the cutest oni ever? ::Mumbles from Hijikata that sound oddly like "die":: What was that hunny dear? ::I think Sano ate all your pie:: Riight? Yeah, okay, so keep up the good work at reviewing!

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Blue_Phoenix4: Lookie, you didn't have to wait too long!!! Um, thanks, messa glad you like this story!

To everyone else who is reading this fic, I made this longer than usual! It's a good 25 pages now! 

Fanfic by Inca

X_X . . . 'nuf said.


	7. Misguided

**_Disclaimer:_** I, sadly enough, do not claim ownership over any of these characters.

**_A/N:_** I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, and not only did it take forever, but this is a short chapter. But I have a good reason, really. My father just passed away, and I'm finding it increasingly hard to sit down and concentrate on writing. So, I'm really sorry, but the updating may slow WAY down.

**As a side note:** I'm really sorry for the grammar in this chapter, but you know, you can only read over a chapter so many times before it becomes tedious. And ff.net decided to get all updated on their style of uploaded chapters, so now its just a tiny bit different. Kinda odd really . . .

And now the story continues….

* * *

_**Honest Nothing**_

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**Misguided**_

* * *

Aiko's eyelids slowly closed, her weariness finally overcoming her. Her eyes agreed with her body in telling her that it was time to fall asleep, that she could only take so much before her body would eventually totally just give up.

And so, she wished Okita a simple good night before heading off to her room that he had made for her to say in. Aiko smiled gloomly as she noted with odd satisfaction that the room she was going to be sleeping in was almost entirely like his old room in the Shinsengumi compounds: blank, bleak, boring.

"Some things never change." She chuckled softly before slipping into her futon and blowing out her candle.

Her hand slowly lifted up to brush away the strands of hair that were in her eyes before lowering to land comfortably onto her old scar on her side. Her eyes took on a more distant look as she whispered out her usual nightly words.

"Good night Souji."

. . .

Okita watched as Aiko sleepily stumbled to her room. A slight smirk graced his lips as he remembered the other times when he was the cause of her weariness. His smirk grew in size as he mentally recounted each and every memory that left his poor Aiko in such a state.

With his eyes closed, Okita laid down onto his back, his arms crossed underneath his head to give himself a pillow. His smirk fell into a frown as the happy memories he could remember slowly ran out. With the happy memories depleted, all that remained for him to watch over again was the day that she had left. Okita scrunched his face at that thought, it wasn't something he normally would look over.

Letting out a deep sigh, Okita slowly stood and made his way to his own room. He paused only momentarily in front of the shoji to Aiko's door before continuing on to his own.

Later that night, while he was lying face down in his futon fighting for sleep, Okita came to the decision that he couldn't keep Aiko. He could never keep her, and he could never see the child that he had fathered. If he kept Aiko he would surely break her. And he could never meet his child, because if he were to see his own creation of flesh and blood then he would break.

. . .

Dark gray eyes narrowed slightly at the disturbing news his spy was telling him. It unsettled him how it seemed to be a page from the past. How could this happen? He had distinctly told her not to go to that town under any circumstances. Perhaps what disturbed him the most, was that it was so familiar.

"You are dismissed."

He needed time to think, to find a way to correct this probable problem he now faced. He needed to find a way to teach the girl to stop disobeying him.

The only true problem was, was that he couldn't interfere directly himself, and he couldn't send anyone that she would recognize. Thus meaning he couldn't send out his most trustworthy followers. But he did have to get her out of that town, as he would _not_ allow the past a second time at pass.

A grim smile played at his lips as he suddenly knew what he had to do. It was brutal, true, but it had to be done. There was only one person she would never expect, one person who she trusted with utmost faith.

Her sister.

And he knew she would never see it coming. Would never see that her sister would be working against her.

And so, his twelve year old Takara would thus become his most important possession.

. . .

Takara moved with her subtle grace, her fluent movements appearing to be nothing short of a mesmerizing dance. She didn't fight like her older sister, true she favored the twin daggers like Aiko, but she didn't use her abilities with the resentment that Aiko carried. The things she learned excited her, made her crave for more. Which is why she now found herself out in the open meadow, practicing the moves she had already learned by heart.

Takara panted heavily from her exercise as she slowly laid herself down into the meadow grass, completely shielding her from any prying eyes. The melody of the wind as it played with the strands of grass brought a sense of divine serenity to her ears.

Blank eyes moved to the sky, seemingly to search for something that wasn't there. Takara moved her arm under her head so that she could rest at least half way comfortably. Her lips moved silently as she whispered her unspoken question to herself.

"Nee-san? Where are you?"

. . .

"I hope your doing something that's more enjoyable than I am Takara." Aiko sighed into the stale air in Okita's room. As her standing in this manly threshold was nothing more than having to stay in her new room, she was incredibly bored. She didn't even have Okita here to play as servant for her every whim since he was supposedly out on patrol with one Saitou Hajime.

With boredom seeping out of her pores, Aiko fidgeted until she could take it no longer. "Oh forget this! I need to get out and into the sunlight." Jumping to her feet, Aiko quickly made her way to the shoji and tossed it open. A smile lifted the corners of her mouth as she breathed in the fresh morning air, "Aw now this is more like it"

The sun's rays warmed her cool cheeks as she welcomed the heat. But little did she know that she should have stayed in her room on this warm spring day.

. . .

"Interesting…"

"That's what I heard!"

"I wonder what they did in there?"

Two pairs of eyes landed on the third as the full implications of the last question popped into their heads.

"But I thought Okita-san wasn't that way."

"Well, she IS confined to his room."

"Is it lunch time yet?"

A pair of sighs escaped two mouths as the pair wondered how food could always be on the third's mind.

"Do you think Hijikata-san is doing this purposefully?"

"But I thought that Hijikata-san and Okita-san…muph…"

"Don't say that! He might order you to commit seppuku for it!"

"What are you three doing?" A forth voice reached them.

The other three turned their heads and looked at the forth almost guiltily until they noticed who it was that the voice came from.

"It's puppy-kun!"

"I thought Hijikata-san had you busy with laundry again?"

"Did you happen to bring lunch with you?"

"Yep, but I finished early!" Tetsu called as he walked up to the three.

The three looked at him, all with a disbelieving look on their faces.

"Okay, so, the laundry's not quite finished, but I heard you guys talking and wanted to know what about."

"Okita-san and Hijikata-san."

"The girl Aiko-san."

"Food."

A slight frown crossed Tetsu's face as he heard the name of the girl that was supposedly staying in Okita's room. If these three were talking about her, then that meant that they knew things. As it was, every time he tried to ask Hijikata about her he always told him that she was just a nuisance and not to expect her to be staying for very long. Yes, he was always the last person to find things out.

"So what about her? Do you guys know why she's staying here?"

Nagakura turned to Tetsu, his face turned serious with a hint of wisdom in his eyes. He pointed his index finger skyward, as if to give the impression that what he was about to say would be deep and meaningful.

Too bad it wasn't.

"Rumor has it that she's Okita-san's sex slave."

However, Tetsu was unable to hear whatever it was that Nagakura had just said, as a pair of strong hands were firmly clamped over his ears.

"Shhh, don't say that around of puppy-kun's virginal ears!" Todou chided Nagakura as he removed his hands from Tetsu's ears.

Nagakura gave him a look that clearly stated what he thought of that remark.

Tetsu looked at the three questionably, he knew what sex was, and he knew what a slave was. So did that make a sex slave some one who would go find some one for you to have sex with? It seemed logical enough for him, but he still had his doubts on that matter, so he decided to ask.

"What's a sex slave?"

All three men's jaws hit the floor. Now how were they going to explain this one to him?

Luckily, or not, Nagakura was the one to explain it for him.

A look of lecherous wisdom graced the smaller mans features as he leaned back and placed his hands on his hips. "My dear innocent puppy-kun, a sex slave is just that, a slave to the carnal desires of man."

Tetsu, for his credit, was able to keep a straight face for a few seconds before he promptly covered his ears and turned to leave to return to his laundry.

Nagakura turned innocent hamster eyes to his two friends, "What?"

Shacking his head at his friend's antics, Todou looked over at Harada and sighed, "Lunch time?"

"FINALLY! ! !"

. . .

The moist ground was starting to seep in through her clothes and dampen her skin. But she could deal with that. What was really starting to get on her nerves though, was the fact that the breeze was causing her damp clothes to freeze her. That, on the other hand, was something she didn't want to deal with.

"Soooo, coooooold . . ."

Takara mentally weighted her options, she could stay on the ground and continue to be lazy for the rest of the day and get out of her father nagging. However, she would undoubtedly freeze herself to the bone if she stayed, and unintentionally turn herself into a human icicle. Thus meaning she would miss dinner, and that would bring on her fathers wrath. Or, she could return now and get into a pair of clean clothes and face her fathers nagging early and get it done and over with.

For some reason, turning into a human icicle didn't seem so bad . . .

Heaving a long, drawn out sigh, Takara slowly stood up and stretched out her sore muscles.

"Might as well get it over with."

. . .

"Where is that girl?" The leader ground out between clenched teeth.

"My leader, I'm sure she's just out practicing with her daggers again." One of his followers nervously voiced his reassurances that the younger daughter handed decided to follow in the older ones steps in being rebellious also.

The leader of the ninja clan moved to stand by the window, his gray eyes dull all as he watched his many followers outside practice with their many weapons. But that was the way he liked it, fundamentals were the first steps to true gratefulness.

Without turning his gaze away from the opened window, the leader voiced his simple command to his attendant, "Go find her."

"Yes leader."

. . .

Aiko sat down at the edge of the engawa, lazily watching as the clouds drifted across the blue sky. Mentally matching each cloud to any animal that it resembled, much like she had done when she was younger.

It was a nice day, Aiko silently concluded. Sunny and comfortable warm with a slight breeze, a breeze strong enough to only play with lose strands of hair. Making it appear as though each of those lose strands of hair had a life of their own, with lazy friends and family laying besides them.

Noises of men's grunts and groans floated across the afternoon air from, where Aiko could only guess, the dojo. But that was all right, as the sky gave her something to watch, the noises gave her something to listen to. But in the end, her curiosity won out over her and she soon found herself following the path that the noises seemed to be coming from.

She didn't make it that far however, as she suddenly found herself surrounded by a very odd couple of men.

"You're her!"

"Okita does have a sex slave!?"

"So you really are real."

Aiko watched in dumbfounded confusion as the three men quickly moved away from her and into a huddle. She didn't know whether to be scared or truly confused, as the whispers she heard indicated that she was the subject of discussion.

"I just want a normal day…" Aiko lamented.

Tbc.

. . .

This chapter was hard, really really hard! It seemed like, every time I got on to try and write on this chapter, some one would pm me!

. . .

**_Next chapter:_**

And once upon a time, life was good, then everything went wrong.

. . .

**_Character Notes:_**

_**Aiko:**_ There really isn't much to say about her in this chater.

**_Okita:_** I don't think I actually have him in here except for the present time Okita . . . odd.

_**Harada:**_ He's my wittle nin come pup! Along with Toudo and Nagakura!

. . .

To my reviewers: Monster cookies for you both!

**_Ionegirl:_** no citrus in this chapter, just sorta a lot of filler. Lol, well, I'm glade you liked the chapter. Would leave a longer review, but you know, its like, 2:30 am right now.

**_Alicja:_** Thank you muches! I'm glade to hear you like my story! And look, I'm updating right after I got your review!

_**Mysticinca (aka lillithan):**_ Yeah, gee, I wonder why you liked last chapter so much too? Lol. Sorry, no glass of lemonaid, but I do have filler, if you want some of that. Lol.

_**Venora Strikes Again:**_ SQUEE!! Thank you!! And yes, procrastination is my bestest best friend in the whole wide world. Ionegirl is writing a wickedly awesome good story, called "where are you know" its about Okita too. She also is the original creator of the character Aiko. But yeah, that is a great Okita story, and I suggest you read it sometime!

_**Lasaire:**_ Well, um, thanks, I think… Yeah I know it's a little mixish between PMK and RK, but in all due time I will edit it all, and cure my story of those blemishes.

For everyone else who is faithfully reading my story, I love you people, even though you seem to have a phobia of reviewing. Lol.

Fanfic by incadove

%% . . . Sleep? Now?


	8. In Your Arms

Disclaimer: I, sadly enough, do not have enough creativity to make these characters up. And so therefore, they do not belong to me, but to their respective owners. The plot is mine though, and if it resembles any other plot line, then it is purely coincidental.

A/N: Wow . . . I just realized that I've gone 8 chapters with out a single lemon. Something is dreadfully wrong . . . not that I myself am a major hentai or anything . . .

As a side note: Ignore the grammar defects.

And now the story continues….

Honest Nothing

Chapter Eight

In Your Arms

****

My Daddy

"Daddy!" a child's voice called,

"I need you, I've falled."

Always near with a tender kiss,

Held in his arms a gentle bliss.

Memories sweet and forever bright.

Stories of old held us tight.

Woven tales of long ago days,

His eyes twinkle in golden rays.

Times we shared were rare and few,

Much of him I never knew.

A bond we shared never seen,

Only now am I keen.

Death looms closer by,

Always waiting in every sigh.

Sadness is close, drawing near.

Losing him now is what I fear.

Hope is mine in my heart.

Never shall we be torn apart.

Through life or death or whatever follow,

I will stay his daughter, his little swallow.

April Zumwalt

Aiko sat on the engawa, basking in the warm rays of the morning light. Her eyes watched the students of Okita's dojo as they practiced their swings. A hint of pride touched her face as one particular student practiced with the accuracy she only expected to come from some one Okita taught. Turning her head to question Okita about the particular student, she was fascinated at how the pride seemed to radiate off of him.

"Okita, who is that student of yours?" Here she lifted her hand to point out the boy who seemed to be the one Okita was proud of also.

Okita looked to whom she was pointing at then quickly turned a beaming smile at her.

"He's my best student. He's been here for about a year now." Confusion marred his smile as he finished talking, "I don't know who he is though . . . he just showed up one day, demanding that I take him in."

Letting out a chuckle, Aiko smiled a knowing smile at him, "he reminds me an awful lot of our son." Aiko turned her head again to continue to watch Okita's praised student practice. "Always demanding things, always striving to be the best."

For the second time since Aiko had reentered his life, Okita felt his world become a jumbled mess. So his son was demanding, and he tried to be the best at what he did. Okita looked over to his side to study Aiko's profile and found it to be oddly fitting that their son should turn out like that. Almost an exact replica of how Aiko used to be.

Fisting his hands in his lap, Okita tried to dampen the anger that fought to consume him. He would have liked to have been there for his son, to be the father figure in _his_ son's life.

The soft laughter that came from the one sitting beside him caused Okita to momentarily forget his internal conflicts and to listen as Aiko continued on in her story.

"My father, even though he had learned to be such a cold man, still had it in him to find a sort of softness for me and my sister. I wasn't able to comprehend it then, but I believe I have come to understand why it was that he was like that. I have spent only a fraction of time living the life of his, the life that I had tried hard to escape, but I can feel the coldness that once surrounded him start to overcome me. I may still disagree with some of the choices that he made, but I have come to respect them also.

"So my story continues here, while I was quarantined to your room, my father was off devising plans to get me out of Kyoto . . ."

It was around mid day by the time Takara finally made it back to the clan, she figured that whatever it was that she was supposed to do today would have been forgotten and she would be in the clear. Smiling to herself, Takara made her way to where her leader, her father, could normally be found at this time of day. Under the oak located by the stream, it was such a peaceful place, tranquil in such a way Takara mentally wondered why it was her father who spent his afternoons there, and not her late mother.

She was right in her predictions, as always. Takara slowed her steps when the big oak tree came into view, and with the tree, the outline of her father sitting against the base. Shivers ran up her spin at the thought of how her father may just be slightly angered at her antics of skipping her chores again. Shaking her head to clear her mind, Takara silently berated herself for her fear. If her father was mad at her, then she could easily shift that anger onto another poor, unlucky comrade. First rule of being her father's daughter: be sneaky, be very sneaky. Of course the other rules were along the lines of doing your chores, brushing your teeth everyday and don't, at any costs, anger the leader. But most of those she chose to ignore.

Time has a habit of speeding up when you don't want it too, and Takara, sadly enough, fell pray to the speeding up of time.

Takara kneeled down by her leader's side, right knee up left knee down with her arms resting on the ground by one of her sets of daggers. Her head came down to rest calmly on her right knee, posing what she believed to be the perfect kneeling position. If someone tried to attack her leader at any given moment, then she would be ready for that unfortunate fellow, on guard as she was. Patience, however, was not her forte, as she quickly grew tired of this waiting game for father always put her though.

Lifting her head back up off her knee, Takara smiled widely for her father, chirping out as she did so, "I'm back!"

Her father barely paid her a glance before turning his head back to the stream to watch the fish try to swim against the current. Takara's smile slowly faded away when her father didn't pat her head like he normally would. It was a small show of affection, but coming form him, it meant so much more than that. Anyone who wasn't his daughter couldn't possibly understand the true meaning of it.

Blinking her eyes, Takara grimly shrugged her shoulders and turned to look at the fish also. So weak and helpless, she wondered why they even bothered to swim upstream.

Almost as if reading her thoughts, her father answered her unspoken question. "Safety. The fish swim upstream to where they know that their offspring will be able to grow in safety. The fish fight for the safety of their young."

Takara quirked an eyebrow at that logic. Fish can't fight, fish can only swim. They have no hands to hold weapons with, they have no fingers to grip with. All they have are fins that can be used for nothing but swimming. Okay, so Takara had to admit to herself that they could breath under water, and that had to be a plus no matter how you looked at it. But that still didn't mean they could fight. Takara pushed the idea far into the back of her mind, as she figured she could spend time on a different day to try and figure it out.

Again, her father seemed to read her thoughts as he gave a rare chuckle and finally patted her on her head.

"You'll understand when you're older."

They shared a moment of silence then, both watching the fish swim as they fought to make it to the safety of upstream.

The elder of the two spoke first, breaking the fragile silence that had fallen between them.

"I have a mission for you Takara."

Takara's eyebrows shot up, she wasn't supposed to be sent on missions yet, she _was_ only twelve after all. "A mission?"

Her father turned to face her then, giving her all of his attention. "I need you to travel to Kyoto, infiltrate the Shinsengumi compounds and find out why it is your sister is there. Once that is through you are to return back and inform me of your findings."

Bowing her head down Takara mentally wondered why it was her and not some other person who was being sent on this mission.

"You have all the necessary skills to carry out this mission, I trust you will not fail me."

A battle waged within Takara's mind, to fulfil this mission would mean that she would more than likely end up betraying her sister. But if she didn't complete it, then she would inevitably betray her father.

"When would you like me to leave?"

Her father turned again to lean back against the tree base, his eyes following the path to the fish, "Tonight."

Standing up, Takara gave her father a nod before turning to leave, stopping only briefly when she heard his last command to her.

"And when you come back, I want you to start learning how to wield a katana."

Words like "sex," "slave," and the one that caught her off guard the most "seppuku," were the only tidbits that Aiko was able to pick out from the three huddled together in front of her. Quirking her eyebrow and giving her head a slight shake Aiko silently tried to make her escape. Turning around and mentally preparing herself for the dash she was about to make, it was only to her demise that when she turned around and began her dash that it was not freedom that met her, but a brick wall.

The brick wall being slightly bouncier than it should have been, Aiko soon felt herself falling backwards toward the ground, the wind rushing from her lungs as she fell. Scrunching her face up, Aiko waited for the pain that would come soon. However, strong arms caught her not a second too late before the ground had the chance of giving her a new colorful bruise.

"Ano….Aiko-san, you are not supposed to be out of my room."

Aiko's face scrunched up even further when instead of tumbling to the ground, she was met with the confused voice of Okita. Dread filled her thoughts at how she had again _not_ followed the demand that she stay in Okita's room. But how could she have, it was too humid and hot in that room, anyone who spent their days away in there would die of heat stroke.

With the ground once again in its rightful place beneath her feet, Aiko hesitantly slid her eyes open. The image of a blurry Okita slowly cleared into the smooth lines of his face, and Aiko felt her heartbeat speed up a notch. Instincts took over and her senses heightened themselves to be fully aware of the situation she had placed herself in. The calm curves of his face loomed closer still as his breath warmed her already red cheeks.

"Ano…Aiko-san, I think you should hurry back to my room before some one notices that you are out."

All she could think of was how the heat from his body was slowly creeping in through her borrowed kimono. With no thoughts on her mind besides how close he was, Aiko slowly nodded her agreement and wiggled herself out from the safety of his arms. Once out of his arms she bowed her head to help hide the bright blush that stained her cheeks and inched past him, mentally chanting to herself to not run and give herself away.

Okita watched Aiko take her leave of him in amusement, smirking to himself at how he was the one to make her blush so deep. Turning away from the retreating form of Aiko, Okita was met by three faces he knew so well.

The smallest nodded his head in understanding and rubbed his chin, then turned sly eyes to Okita. Waggling his eyebrows he spoke, "So the rumors are too then?"

Before Okita had the chance to speak up his protests to whatever the rumors were saying about him, he received a hearty slap on the back by the tallest of the three. In turn knocking the air from his lungs and the sense from his brain.

"I always knew you had it in you."

Okita swung his head in the direction of the taller before turning pleading eyes to the remaining companion the of the three. Silently beseeching the last to be more understanding of what was truly going on. When no understanding words came from the thirds mouth Okita slumped his shoulders in a sulking manner, knowing that he had one more demeaning remark to live through.

"She doesn't seem like the type to be a sex slave?"

Back stiff, Okita turned wide eyes to Todou before speaking in a smooth, but deadly voice. His voice dropped an octave to indicate that the subject was closed as of then.

"Never call Aiko-chan that again, or…" He left the remaining portion of his threat unsaid to leave it up to the three to plan what things he would do to them.

The trio gulped, Okita walked away.

Okita silently played with the idea of Aiko being his own personal sex slave, but then realized exactly what it was he was thinking about and gave a deep blush. Thoughts like those weren't meant to be contemplated at that moment. He would have to do something to make it clear to everyone that she was not his sex slave and that the rumors were wrong. And he knew just the person to talk to about that. The only problem was, was that the person was gone today and wouldn't be returning for another few hours. Okita's shoulders slouched as he passively agreed that his concerns would just have to wait later.

Aiko continued walking forward till the voices in the background faded away to nothing. Not feeling entirely like returning to the sparse room that Okita claimed belonged to him, she wondered off in a different direction. The compounds all looked the same to her, each building resembling the next that it was hard to tell where she was heading and where not. Many voices whispered through the breeze and Aiko remembered what it was like back at home, how it was much like this place. Only instead of a wall enclosing them, it was the trees of a forest. Instead of having a grand dojo to practice in, home had a meadow. There were so many differences, and yet it seemed like it was the differences that made this place so much like her home.

Turning around the side of the building, Aiko was presented with a clear view of two individuals sitting in a room no more than ten yards away from her. She didn't want to pry and snoop, but she had always been told her curiosity always got the better of her. And in cases like these, where she was being held practically captive, she figured it would cause no harm to learn a few more things about her captors.

Curiosity kills the cat though, or it at least will render it motionless. And Aiko found herself become the pray as one of the individuals in that room she clearly remembered. Her elegant bun, the silky blue kimono, it was obvious that the lady she had met in the town was the same lady who was currently discussing some topic with the other man.

Odd, Aiko mused, as she had originally suspected her to be one of her father's many followers, not someone else who lived here. Or maybe it was just that the lady had pin pointed her position and was even now sneaking her way into the compounds to watch over her. That idea seemed to far fetched for it to be true though, the idea that her father would send some one to so plainly watch her just wasn't the way he operated. Which meant that her earlier calculations had been in fact wrong and this lady was simply just like any other lady. But that didn't match up fully to everything, as that lady had still known her father.

Aiko was starting to give herself a headache.

Throwing caution to the wind, Aiko calmly made her way toward the room where the mystery lady sat in waiting. She would get the answers she wanted soon enough even if it meant that she would have to strangle them out of her.

The two were still to deep in their conversation by the time that Aiko had reached the shoji that neither of them had noticed her presence. Aiko gave her head a little shake before lightly tapping on the shoji to kindly inform the two occupants of the room that she was there.

Nothing but silence greeted her. The lady had her head bowed down toward her clasped hands, and the man continued to gaze at the lady. Heaving a sigh, the big man turned to sit in her direction and smiled a big, warm smile.

"Ahhh, Aiko-san, we were just speaking about you."

The lady seemed to perk up at that time and also turned to sit in front of Aiko. "Yes, please come and join us. This is Isami Kondo, and I am his sister Isami Nariko"

She tried to form a response to say, but the words were stuck in her throat and didn't want to be said. Aiko frowned a bit at the faces. She _knew_ those faces, she just couldn't figure out from where and when. Worrying her lip between her teeth, Aiko wondered why it was that everyone was starting to seem so familiar to her. She leveled her head and gazed back at Nariko and questioned, "How do you know my father?"

For a moment Aiko doubted that this was the time to bring up such a question when she saw, from out of the corner of her eye, the big man's face go completely blank and the lady look almost guilty. But if not now, then what other time would she have such an opportunity to voice her questions?

Nariko shrugged Aiko's question off with a wave of her hand and a tilt of her head. Once again she gave Aiko a smile and answered, "Now is not the time to explain it, as I'm sure your wound needs to be redressed." The lady stood and gave Kondo a bow before grabbing Aiko's hand and pulling her out of the room.

With a sad smile Kondo watched the two leave his room and head toward Okita's. The corners of his mouth lifted into what could be considered a small smile, but inside his mind cried out in muted pain. She didn't remember, and though that was to be expected since he hadn't seen her in twelve years, it still hurt.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Hijikata growled at his soldier's incompetence.

He had left with the intention of learning their enemy's new location, but alas, his soldier had to be a complete moron and force him to waste an entire day walking to and forth. Some one was going to get an earful, and he almost felt pity for the poor fool who would be the one.

Grumbling some more, Hijikata treaded on, completely unaware that he was already within Kyoto's city limits. He wouldn't notice until he was standing outside the compound's gates, but then he would growl more about how his fool soldier had caused him to lose track of time.

With a freshly dressed wound, Aiko quietly sat on her futon. Nariko had told her that she should take a nap and rest so that her injury would heal quicker, but she just wasn't tired. Instead, she thought about the big man, and how he seemed to be so familiar. It had to mean something that both brother and sister were part of her old memories.

He was older now, his face looked more rugged, but it still retained that loving look. Why she remembered that though, she wasn't sure. To her knowledge she had been living in the forest for her whole life. And yet, she did have a few memories that would dispute otherwise. Her mind went into overtime trying to seek out what she wanted.

The lady had said that she knew her father, well, maybe not that she knew him but that she would say hello for her to him. So the lady had to know her father. And when she had asked of it, the man Kondo had responded to the question with such strangeness that could only mean that he too knew her father. But what did that mean?

Could they by chance be relatives to her father? The two were about the same age as him, but if they were family, then why did they not live in the forest with the rest?

She knew his smile, she knew his face, and she _knew_ his eyes! She just couldn't place from where.

And then, as if the storm in her mind had finally let up, it all became clear to Aiko. Who the man was, who the lady was. The truth left her so shocked she found it hard to breathe. One word escaped her frozen lips and seemed to linger in the air.

"No . . ."

Strength came back to her limbs and she quickly jumped to her feet. Her destination set in mind she ran toward the direction she had just come from.

The truth was so obvious, so heart wrenching that a few tears sneaked their way down Aiko's cheeks. She reached Kondo's room and hurriedly stepped inside. There were more people in there besides just Kondo and Nariko. But she didn't care; she just didn't care who saw her show of weakness. She had finally found him, and that was all that mattered.

Her shoulders shook with repressed sobs as she looked upon his face. The inside of her mouth felt sticky and dry, but she forced the word out anyway.

"Papa?"

A choked laugh came from Kondo as he opened his arms to his grown up girl. She wasn't so small anymore; she had grown up tall and beautiful, just like her mother.

"Aiko."

Aiko took a hesitant step forward before launching herself into her father's awaiting arms. Her sobs broke free from their restraints when she felt herself become engulfed in a huge hug. In the kind of hug only a father could give. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave a mental laugh when only her fingertips could touch. A sigh of contentment passed her lips before she breathed in her father's, her true father's, scent. For the past twelve years her life may have been a lie, but in the arms of her father she found comfort in the hope that now it would all be okay.

Tbc.

I don't know, its not really so much of a cliffy right?

Next Chapter:

Aiko finds comfort in Okita goodness . . . and the truth about where she really came from.

Character Notes:

Aiko: Hey, if you saw two faces that you remembered from younger years, wouldn't you contemplate from where? Anyway, to clear up any misgivings . . . Aiko is 16, she was torn away from her real father when she was merely 4.

Okita: Yes, I'm sure some of you select few are questioning why Okita has a dojo in the Present/future huh? Well, okay, lets see if I can say this so that even I don't get confused. Okita never had tuberculoses and therefore, has been able to live a real life. After the Shinsengumi fell, he decided to do what he did best. Play with kids.

Hijikata: He, uh, yeah, has only a small part in this chapter. He went to go gather info, what else is there to be said besides that he thinks his soldier is a moron?

Kondo: Oh come now, we all have learned that Kondo can be serious some times. Anyway, for those of you who don't believe me, Kondo really did have two daughters. The names I am using however, are purely fictional and should not be taken to heart.

Nariko: Hm, Kondo's sister. The mysterious lady from the second chap . . . I think it was the second . . . maybe the third?

To the reviewers: I love this part! hands candy baskets to each reviewer I love you!

Leakkhenna: Yeah, I love tetsu too! He's just too cute and puppy like to not!

Ione-girl: backs away slowly are you sure you haven't raided Pepsi Corp. yet? Lol, thank you very much baka! If you liked my Takara in the last chap, then your sure to enjoy this one!

Alicja: blows on fingernails Yes, I know, I am the best . . . wait, you didn't say that . . . Tee hee!!! I'm happy that you like it, it doesn't seem as though many people do. Lol.

Venora Strikes Again: Squee! I hope you like this chap! I tried to add the drama that I claimed would be in here. I never suspected it would go against my natural habit to make everything funny though…T.T Eh hehehe?

huh? Oh..Mysticme: LOL, glad to know that you left a decent review for once. Jk. Lol. Yep, no lemonade in the last chapter, and none in this one . . . but soon, oh yes, very soon. O.o! bwahahahahahaha. Hey, and we even know more about the present/future Okita too. HA HA, the play off between the three is just too much fun to leave alone. I think they will be gaining bigger roles later . . . along with Saitou and um, Yamanamai. Not sure yet though……….

Fanfic by inca

U.U . . . I don't wanna go to work tomorrow!


	9. Unfinished Business

Disclaimer: But, I do own PMK! Grabs episode disks SEE!!! I bought them! Fair and square! I'm not making money off of them though. I didn't create them, didn't think up the characters. Even the OC's aren't mine. Well, I've added a few quirks to their personalities, but that's it!

* * *

**Honest Nothing**

**Chapter Nine**

**Unfinished Business**

* * *

Untitled

Laughter lives behind a shroud,

Open eyes with a dark cloud.

To fight to suffer to loose

Not a life I want to choose

Dreams, who needs them

Dreams, who wants them

Give me something I can touch, feel

Not something that will fade, peel

Open-mindness is a joke,

Put that in your pipe to smoke.

This very world is closed

Empty headed and syphon hosed

But...I don't want ignorance nor sorrow

I already have enough to borrow

Give me joy and give me smiles

I'll take our friendship for miles

Life is nothing but game of minds

With secret words and hidden signs

Yet life is something very tangible

If only others knew how manageable

Put your foot forward, one step then two

You never know what you may come across or who

Keep you head held firm and high

Always move forward further or nigh

* * *

Interesting, how she could leave his life so suddenly, only to return nine years later and fall back into the pattern of things. His heart ached for the lost time between them, and he wished that maybe this time around, things would turn out differently. Maybe she would stay with him and bring back the light that had been for so long hidden by dark clouds.

It was a silly thought he knew, as she had been the one to say she didn't love him and leave.

His head hung low dejectedly, successfully hiding his saddened eyes from her with his bangs. Their time together had seemed so perfect, that even he had to give a sardonic laugh to the fact that it had truly been to good to be true.  
  
Evening was fast approaching and the clouds that had covered the sky last night came with it.

"Papa?"

A choked laugh came from Kondo as he opened his arms to his grown up girl. She wasnt so small anymore; she had grown up tall and beautiful, just like her mother.  
  
"Aiko."  
  
Aiko took a hesitant step forward before launching herself into her father's awaiting arms. Her sobs broke free from their restraints when she felt herself become engulfed in a huge hug. In the kind of hug only a father could give. She wrapped her arms around his waist and gave a mental laugh when only her fingertips could touch. A sigh of contentment passed her lips before she breathed in her father's, her true father's, scent. For the past twelve years her life may have been a lie, but in the arms of her father she found comfort in the hope that now it would all be okay.  
  
Two of the other occupants in the room watched with mild surprise, while the other nodded in understanding. Nariko's eyes grew misty with the warmth that spread through her body. This was how it was supposed to be, this was the way it was meant to be if Miame's father had never took her away. Kondo deserved having his daughter back in his life. And there wasn't anything that she would let come between his happiness with his daughter.  
  
The rustle of clothing brought her attention to the other two as they stood up to leave. Obviously believing that they should not be witnesses to what was happening. Strange, she thought, that one was leaving with a frown and the other with a contemplative, yet oddly sad, face. After sending her brother one last smile, Nariko too stood up and began to follow Okita and Hijikata out of the room.

Once alone Aiko pulled out from the cover of Kondo's arms, her face streaked by the tears.

"What happened? Why wasn't it you that me and Takara grew up with?"

A sigh escaped his lips as he slumped his shoulders tiredly, an understanding air about him. "That, Aiko, is a long story and is best kept till another time." Kondo's shoulders suddenly straightened and a grin replaced his previous frown. Clapping his hands together in front of his face, he dismissed Aiko's question by asking one of his own.

"But until that time, how about we go and get some food. My stomachs telling me its lunch time!"

Aiko thought on this for a moment. She was hungry since she hadn't bothered to go scrounge for food, but she still wanted to know what had happened in the past. In the end, her decision was made up for her as Kondo had mysteriously popped up by her side, and was currently trying to drag her in the direction of food.

* * *

Three men, three smirks, and three knowing pairs of eyes watches as Kondo dragged the sex slave behind him.

Nagakura nodded to his two friends as he spoke what was written on their faces.

"Yeah, even he needs some time to relax in the simple pleasures of a woman."  
  
"Thats so sweet! Who would have ever thought he of all people would take her in!" Todou smiled brightly after the retreating forms of Aiko and Kondo.  
  
Harada and Nagakura sighed in disbelief as they watched with hooded eyes the imaginary hearts float around Todou's head.

* * *

She sat with the grace that she obviously never had, nearly falling over trying to sit in a kimono. Kondo gave a bark of laughter to her, it was painstakingly obvious of the lifestyle that she had been living for these past years. Clearly not brought up as a high-class woman as she deserved to be.

Reaching out to grab at her shoulders to still her tilting, he felt her shoulders stiffen at his touch. Not wanting to think on it, Kondo brought his hands back and crossed his arms.

The air seemed tense to her. There was so much she wanted to ask; she just didnt know how to ask it. Leveling her eyes to her biological fathers, she decided to ask in the only way she knew how too.

"Are you Takara's father too?"  
  
Kondo nearly choked on the bite of food he had just taken. That was a question he was actually waiting for, he just never imagined that it would be the first question for her to ask. Hurriedly he swallowed the rest of the food and washed it down with a big gulp of tea.

"Yes, you are both my daughters."

"So that would mean that mama would have had to have stayed with you for at least four years."

His facial features remained the same, but inside he wondered where she was going with this train of thought. Cracking a smile, he motioned for her to continue.

Aiko's eyes lowered as she appeared to become fascinated by her fidgeting hands. What she whispered then filled him with both happiness and sorrow. "Do you think I could also stay here for that long?"

How could he honestly answer that? He wanted her to, almost needed her to say with him so that he could see her grow and become the woman she was meant to be. But even so, even being her biological father, he knew that it was beyond his powers to keep her. The man that had replaced him in her life would surely do anything to get her back, and that was not a fight he was prepared to enter. No mater how cold it might seem of him to do so, he would eventually send her back home. Back to where she belonged, where she could be free to be herself and not confined in this world of politics.  
  
But for the time being, he could allow himself to bask in the happiness that his daughter wanted stay with him.

"Of course! We dont have any rooms open right now though . . . you can stay in Okita's room!"

Aiko raised a delicate eyebrow at him. She already _was_ staying in his room. Even more, she was the one that had practically taken over his wardrobe. But he said it as though it was the best idea in the world that she had no choice but to grin with childish glee. And then it hit her; she was allowed to stay.  
  
He felt reluctant to break the fragile mirth that surrounded them, but he felt as though she had to know the reason that he and Miame had been split apart. It would inevitably be the same reason that they would be split apart as well.

"There's something you must know though. The reason that your mother and I were separated was because she had already been betrothed to some one else. And that was the undoing of our life together."

All notions of a life free from the responsibilities she was doomed to face left her. Her mother had been betrothed? But, ninja's didn't do that . . . did they?  
  
A broken voice full of confusion questioned him. "What?"

Kondo looked sadly into his daughter's eyes; this was the true reason behind her inability to stay here with him.

"You didn't know that? Aiko, your clan betroths the heir of their leader once they're born."  
  
But wouldn't that mean that she too was betrothed? No one had ever mentioned that to her, never.  
  
"I don't understand . . . I'm not betrothed. I can't be betrothed, he never told me I was!"  
  
She shook her head in denial and hoped that her voice gave away none of the dread that her heart felt. It couldn't be true, there was no possible way that it could be.

Long suppressed anger flared to life in his veins when she mentioned him. Though not directly saying his name, he clearly understood whom it was she was talking about.  
  
Kondo sighed as he watched his daughter stress over his words, felling unable to sooth her worries.  
  
Aiko lowered her head and whispered in a desperate plea for his help.

"I don't want to be."

Heart-wrenching pain racked his body, there was nothing he could do. His hands were tied, but with the pain he heard in his little girls voice he wished beyond anything that he could make all her fears go away. That was what his parental instincts wanted him to do, but the part of him that was a leader, that had to command scores of men to their death, knew that he had to make her understand. What was meant to be, will be.

His face tuned blank, not wanting to defy his words with the conflicting emotions he was feeling.  
  
"You have no choice Aiko."  
  
Even before the words had left his mouth, he knew that what he said was not what she wanted to hear. A cold fist gripped his heart when his little girl looked at him with such broken eyes, threatening to spill tears. He watched in silence as she stood and left him to eat the rest of his lunch alone, that of her own untouched.

* * *

The moon shined with its eerie glow across the silent compound, creating curious shadows where normally there would be none. It seemed an extra ordinarily cold night with a storm brewing in the distance, and with the wind a soundless breeze. Occasionally the dirt would stir from the little animals that were out scavenging for their supper to feast upon. This scene is what Aiko found herself watching, even as her consciousness replayed the events of the day over in her head. Nitpicking, if you will, to try and find what it was that she had missed.

"I just don't understand." Aiko sighed to herself in mock anger.  
  
Clinching her hands into fists in her lap, Aiko found herself wanting to speak to Okita. The little man had become such a large part in her life in the short time that she had known him. After all, if there was anyone who would give her the answers that she sought, then it would surely be him.

Right?

Aiko pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders when the wind suddenly picked up in speed and seemed to drop the world degree by a few notches. Her eyelids felt heavy and she knew she should head to bed, but at the rate her mind was working it seemed a foolish hope for sleep to find her. As it was, with the new information she had just acquired in the last few hours, she wasn't sure if it was even possible to ever sleep again.

"I wish . . . I had never came to this town." She whispered into the dying breeze. Too many things had happened in her life since she had came here to Kyoto, that it was hard to distinguish who she was anymore. Was she the clans' leader's daughter, next in line to become leader? Or was she the Shinsengumi's Chief's long lost daughter? But most importantly, who was it she wanted to be? Did she even have a choice in the matter?

Shaking her head roughly, Aiko decided that she really should just quit thinking all together. This whole mess was giving her headache, another one in fact.

"Are you happy?"

The sudden question that came from behind her jolted Aiko out of her internal musings and forced her mind to do a flip. Turning her head to look over her shoulder at the one who had asked her the question, she was faced with the man she wasn't sure if she really wanted to see. Moving her gaze back toward her surroundings Aiko answered as truthfully as she could.

"I'm not sure. I feel confused. I feel happy and yet at the same time sad. I'm angered at the knowledge that my life has been a half-truth, and yet I'm overjoyed that I know the truth. Why does it have to baffle me so much?" Her gaze traveled to the few stars that glittered in the distance and envied them. So bright and bold, Aiko silently wondered if they ever lost their way in life.  
  
The big, jovial man, who had become her newfound father, situated himself comfortable by Aiko's side

"What happened to her, what happened to your mother?"

Aiko, for her part, didn't want to particularly share the memory of her mother's death with him. It seemed too personal, too meaningful, for her to give it away to anyone, no matter _who_ that person happened to be.

Brown pools of barely concealed hatred stared into those of her fathers curious ones.

"They killed her."  
  
It had never really occurred to her that Kondo may still have feelings for her long dead mother, but when she saw the look on his face after she spoke, it made her feel empty. At that moment, she hated herself for being so cold to the man.

Furrowing her brows, Aiko stared down into her lap. An urge that she at least tell him what he wanted to know formed in her throat, and yet her mouth seemed frozen shut as she continued to stare. Her sight became clouded by the unchecked tears that feel from her eyes as the scene of the arrow that had pierced her mother's heart, and ultimately ended her life, replayed over and over in her mind.

Speaking Softly, she gave in and slowly gave the information that he had every right to know.

"I was eight when it happened. Mother had been gone for so long, I didn't expect her to be back. I was off playing in the fields; Mother came and got me. We were on our way back when . . . when . . ." The bottle that she kept her emotions safely hidden in cracked and leaked out the pain and hopelessness that Aiko had kept silent from over the last eight years.  
  
_"Mommy?" _  
  
Sobbing, Aiko wrapped her arms around herself to try and protect her from the pain she felt. But even in her sorrow, Aiko's self-loathing shined like a beacon throw her next words.

_"RUN!"_

"I couldn't save her! I couldn't save my _mother!_ I ran away . . . _I ran away._"

_"I love you, Aiko." _

A soft and cool hand landed on top of her head, gently stroking her hair to sooth her hurt; much like a mother would do to a child.  
  
"And it's because you ran away in your past, that you will never run away again in your future. You're a brave girl Aiko, even if you don't see it yet."  
  
_Her mother wasn't ever going to come back. . . _  
  
A choked laugh escaped Aiko's lips as she looked back at her new father.  
  
"I'm not brave, I'm just too stubborn to do things any other way but my way."  
  
Kondo turned a blank stair at Aiko before the implications of her statement hit him. His eyes narrowed in what would only be considered an angry glare, and Aiko silently wondered if she had said something to upset him before she suddenly found herself in a bone-crushing hug.

"Ah! You sound so much like your Mother. Stubborn as a mule, she wouldn't let anyone get the better of her. I practically had to hit her on her head just to get the chance for her to listen to me."

Aiko laughed with Kondo over his retailing of her mothers hard headed ways. She knew all too well how hard it used to be to change her mother's mind. But still, that was one aspect of her mother she wouldn't have had changed in the least, as her stubbornness was a side affect of her honor.  
  
_"Mama, your back!"_

* * *

SMACK

CRACK

CRUNCH

Black and red dotted her vision the minuet the tree decided to get to know her in an aggressive way. Stumbling backwards she met with another evil creation of Mother Nature as her right foot landed lopsidedly on top of a rock. The slight drizzle didn't seem to help make matters any better by turning the solid rock into a slimy sponge. Her rear landed unceremoniously onto the cold, wet, unforgiving ground.

Crossing her legs and bringing one hand to rub at her forehead and the other to her rear, Takara fumed at all that surrounded her. She was wet, she was cold and she was hungry. Under normal circumstances that wouldn't bother her too much, but she now had a headache from limbo and a bruise probably the size _of _Japan on her butt.

Leaning forward she removed her hand from her forehead to grab at the betraying rock and toss it into oblivion.

"Stupid rock, that'll teach ya."

She felt a little better after that, but her head still hurt so she once again placed her hand on her forehead. This whole trying to find Aiko mess was turning out to be exactly that, a mess. She was only a day into her journey and she already wanted to call it quits and go back to beat up the boys once more. There was no way that was going to happen though.

Giving up on her head and rear, Takara crawled toward the tree that had just attacked her. It was raining after all; she needed some form of shelter. And besides, she hadn't seen any lightning yet so it would be perfectly safe for her to sleep there. Scrunching herself into a tight ball once she reached the tree, Takara closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep. She could give the tree a piece of her mind later; she was just too tired to do it right now.  
  
Strangely, Takara would awake at the first rays of dawn and wonder why it was that she had thought she could find shelter under a dead tree.

* * *

Okita sat on the engawa gently humming the quaint tune he had recently learned from playing with the children. It seemed the only way to keep his mind steady since the occurrences of the afternoon. Why the girl had stumbled into his life, he wasn't quite sure of. And furthermore he wasn't sure if it was such a good thing that she had. He had feelings for her, what feelings exactly he wasn't quite sure, but he could feel them festering inside him somewhere. To know that she was Kondo's daughter put a hamper on any feelings he could have for her. And again, he felt his world begin to do flips around him.

Still humming gently, Okita turned bemused eyes to the sky and wondered what kind of lesson this was supposed to be. Control? Self-restraint? Perhaps even to find madness, and become so confused in that madness that he would never be able to see straight again and be forced to eat soba with out chop sticks ever again . . . perhaps. A dry laugh broke free through his tight lips as he realized that would be madness. Only, it would be madness for Saitou.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Okita swatted away the few insects that had gathered and decided to make his ears their new home.

Women, confusing creatures that caused the life of others to become enwrapped in their world.

Digging his hand into his pocket, Okita frowned when his fingers only managed to find cotton and air. That wasn't what his fingers were searching for. A low growl rumbled through his throat as his fingers continued to unsuccessfully find the elusive thing. Tearing his hand out from his pocket, Okita then brought his pocket up to eye level so he could look for what it was he was looking for. Close inspection reveled nothing more to him than what his fingers had found.

Pouting, Okita gave up on that pocket and tried his other one.

A bright smile lit his face and his world suddenly made sense to him again.

His candy was in _that_ pocket, not the other one!  
  
Popping one of his life saving candies into his mouth, Okita stood up and headed back to his room. His room, but for what seemed like lifetimes it was her room. Maybe now that it was known that she was Kondo's daughter, maybe she could get a room for herself and allow him the comfort of a good night sleep again.

* * *

Okita wanted to cry. All he ever wanted was a decent nights sleep, nothing more. Well, maybe more candy or free time to play with the children, but that was it. Honestly. The Gods must hate him.

With a heavy sigh Okita shut the shoji door and turned.

"Another night gazing at the stars," suddenly bouncing the small piglet in his arms he whispered lightly, "Ah well, it could be worse huh, Saizou."

Gracefully Okita sat down, his legs dangling over the engawa, his pet tenderly nestled within the warm folds of his clothing. Okita leaned to his side and rested his tired head against the support beam, his eyes turning up and watching the stars dance across the sky.

He really wanted his bed back.  
  
And yet the young woman who had been sharing his room was wide awake and currently counting the blanks of her ceiling in the dim light.

Her mind would not let her sleep. Too much had happened over the past 24 hours for her mind to relax. And there she laid, wide awake counting the beams on a lumpy futon.

'I'm bored.'

With a groan, Aiko rolled from under her covers, stood and tugged on her borrowed haroi.

'Might as well as take a walk and quite my thoughts,' Aiko mentally muttered softly into the empty night.

Her bare feet padded lightly across the cold floor, stopping only briefly as she tugged the door aside. Her eyes snapped wide open with the sight that greeted her; sitting just before her, the pale moonlight shining off his dark hair was Okita.

* * *

'Sleep, sleep, sleep.' Even chanting it in his head wasn't working. His body was tired yet his eyes refused to shut and give in to the peace of sleep. Groaning irritably, Okita had just resigned himself to yet another long night without sleep when the door to his room slid silently open. His reaction was mere instinct, he leapt aside his fingers grabbing the tanto he kept hidden and prepared himself for an attack. Later he would realize how incredibly ridiculous his reaction was, he already knew who was in his room.

Aiko gasped and pressed herself against the wall, her own survival instincts thrown in high gear and she quickly reached inside her clothing looking for the small cluster of needles that were normally hidden there. Only her fingers brushed nothing but her bare flesh, which in this case was a very good thing.

"Okita?" Her breathless call ended the silent standoff between hidden ninja and samurai.

Okita's heart wasn't going to slow down any time soon; his narrowed eyes slowly came out of their haze and focused on Aiko.  
  
"Aiko?"  
  
Both parties quickly heaved twin sighs of relief.

"What are you doing up?" They both asked in unison.  
  
Aiko scrunched up her nose and Okita chuckled softly.  
  
"I couldn't fall asleep." Was their, again, shared answer.  
  
Okita chuckled softly at Aiko's frown, with a raised hand and a twinkle in his eye he signaled for her to speak.

Aiko groaned. All she wanted was a long walk to calm her mind and put her rampaging thoughts to bed. She did not want to spend the evening sitting next to a man that sent not only shivers down her neck but a strange burning sensation within the pit of her stomach.

"I, ah, was going to take a walk because I couldn't get to sleep." Aiko mentally slapped herself, well wasn't that the most brilliant thing she could have said.

"I'll go with you. Maybe some good company will help you sleep."

'Wait, no! That wasn't part of the bargain! Go away! Shoo!'

Okita watched as Aiko's eyes widened and her hands clenched her kimono tighter. A look of alarm crossed his boyish features as he quickly explained, "Only a walk, nothing more. It will help the both of us sleep."

Aiko merely narrowed her eyes and Okita couldn't stop the wry smile that came to his face as he added as an afterthought, "or we could simply sit here and watch the stars?"

With a jerky nod, Aiko stepped forward and sat down, her head resting on the beam that Okita had previously used.

With a heavy sigh, Okita sat down next to her only after he quickly tucked the tanto back into place; an action that did not go unnoticed with Aiko.

"You truly are a dangerous man, Okita Souji." She murmured softly.

Stunned, Okita fought to relax his expression before he turned to her and laughed lightly. His laughter, however, didn't reach his eyes.

"Not dangerous Aiko-chan, merely prepared."

She nodded before she let the silence of the night come over her again. Okita Souji, she had seen him kill, she had seen him covered in his own blood, hell, she had both attached him and tried to rescue him in one night. And yet he continued to wear this mask before her. She couldn't blame him really; she was doing the same. Appearing innocent, and keeping the evil within her quiet.

"How do you do it, Okita? How are you able to hold on to your mask and still keep your mind?"

If her previous comment hadn't stunned him, this one certainly did. Struggling to keep his so called mask in place, something that seemed to be increasingly difficult with her, Okita answered somewhat gruffly, "we do what we have to, to keep those we love safe."

Aiko frowned. To keep the ones she loved safe was that what she doing? Was that why she had run away from her duties? To learn about the world so that she could in the long run keep everyone safe? No. That wasn't what she was doing; she was merely running away; away from her obligations to the clan, away from her obligations to her step-father, away from the obligations of her possible fiancée.

"I'm tired of running away." Her voice was soft and Okita barely caught the soft drift of her words. An understanding smile touched his lips as he leaned to his side and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"We all are, Aiko-chan, we are all tired of hiding."

She laughed. A strangled laugh, a laugh that was full of grief of anger and of desperation. Her life wasn't her own, it would never be her own, and she had far too many obligations to everyone for it to be her own. But right now, at this very moment, her life was only ruled by her actions. She wanted, just for once, to do something of her own choice. Everything that had led her so far had been circumstance, her rescue, her room and her history. Right now she simply wanted to be the woman Aiko, not the ninja.

And to Okita's utter disbelief she turned and wrapped her arms around his waist in a hug. Her face settled in the crook of his neck, her soft breathing doing nothing but reminding him how long it had been since he had held a woman.

'Breath Souji, breath! She is only seeking the comfort of someone's arms, not the comfort of something entirely different.' His thoughts froze however when he felt the gentle press of her lips against his throat.

'Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!'

Aiko really had no idea what had encouraged her to press a tender kiss to his throat. And she nearly jumped out of his arms when she felt him freeze against her. Blushing, Aiko leaned back to apologize.

"Okita, forgive me I shouldn't have done" her words froze in her throat when his eyes opened and locked on to her own. Her throat suddenly dry and the warm tingle back Aiko licked her suddenly parched lips, her own eyes widening when that action captured Okita's gaze.

"Ano..Okita?"

Okita was fighting an internal battle and was quickly loosing. Would she just stop trying to seduce him with her obvious innocence! Quickly he stepped away, pulling from her arms and standing in the shadows his voice was harsh when he spoke.

"Aiko-chan, you said I was a dangerous man. At this moment I am quite dangerous, it would be best if you retired to your room this instant before your simple kiss turns into something you are not yet ready to handle."

Heat flooded her body, and anger suddenly captured her mind as she spoke, "I'm not a child! I can handle whatever I get myself into."

Not even a second had passed since the words left her mouth than Aiko found herself pinned against the engawa, Okita's warm body pressed tightly against her own and his eyes glaring down into her startled ones.

"I will give you one more chance, Aiko, go to bed."

Aiko's heart fluttered within her breast, realization of what he had been talking about hit her full on. A softly uttered moan escaped her throat and her body twitched upwards and against him. Her eyes were startled and yet very curious and she again moistened her dry lips watching in fascination as Okita's eyes snapped shut and his body tensed. He was holding something back; the realization dawned on her.

A wicked glint came to her eyes; this may be the only chance she may get to torture the man that had been in her thoughts ever since she met him. Willing her expression to that of a doleful woman she whispered, "Okita, I can't get up with you on me."

Lavender eyes opened lazily, his expression unreadable as he spoke, the husky timbre of his voice tickled her nerve endings and her hair stood on end.

"Will you concede and go to bed?"

Aiko nodded quickly. Let him think whatever he wants, but I am not going to bed anytime soon.

His eyes narrowed and gazed deep within her own, Aiko was almost afraid he would be able to read her very thoughts with the look he gave her. She heaved a grateful sigh when he rose, yet her relief was only short lived and she found herself staring down the edge of a blade. Her eyes wide with shock darted up and met with Okita's dark orbs.

"What are you..?" her question was left unfinished as he pressed the blade closer to her neck.

"Do not play with me, woman. If you wish to learn the lesson that only your husband has the right to teach you, then by all means continue what you are doing. But I repeat, if you are not: Go. To. Bed."

Aiko smiled. She had made up her mind long ago that she would not be ruled by men, her point to this mission had simply to point out to her step father that she was as much a woman as her mother had been. She, like her mother, was strong, coy, open-minded, and when needed as heartless as any man in the world. Okita had simply reminded her of her goal; the prize or lesson that her husband owned rights for belonged firstly to her. At it would be by her choice who took that from her. Her innocence was her own to give, and Aiko knew that above all Okita would be the man that could treasure a gift of that sort. A man, who had lost his innocence so long ago to war, would be given the innocence of a woman who had no need for it when she returned home.

Cold steel met with warm flesh as Aiko lifted her hand against the blade of the tanto, with careful steps she moved forward, the blade tearing into her flesh and leaving a thick trail of blood in its wake. One long cut creased her hand and blood poured from her self-inflicted wound. Her eyes never left his even as her hand rose away from the blade and cupped his cheek, blood dripping from her palm.

"No man as any right to anything that is first my own. It is mine to give and therefore I give it to you, Souji. Take my innocence as a replacement of the one you lost so many years ago." Aiko's voice was gentle as she cupped both his cheeks in her hands and leaned forward for a kiss.

Okita just knew the world had ended. He had given her several quite blunt warnings and yet she still persisted. The hand holding the lethal dagger fell to his side, the dagger thrusting itself into the ground with the momentum of its fall. She was giving herself to him!

All logical thought processes ended with the touch of her lips against his, her kiss tender and inexperienced flamed his passion to new heights and he soon copied her motions and led her into a deeper kiss. His lips moved over hers in an erotic dance, leading her, coaxing her deeper in her own newly discovered desire. Between gasps and heavy breaths Okita soon became only aware of her body and his. His tongue tangling with hers and his hands quickly finding delight with her curves.

A week ago Aiko would have fought venomously against his bold advances. His hands were everywhere, waking up areas of her body she never knew existed. From her neck to her breasts to her waist Aiko was simply awash in sensation, never had she known the simple pleasure of touch.

A started cry tore through her throat when he found one area she had never before touched. His soft chuckle landed on deaf ears as she struggled to manage the mind- blowing pleasure that came from the center of her being. Her knees gave out from beneath her, her fingers curled painfully in the thick fabric of his kimono, Aiko simply collapsed beneath the expert guidance of his fingers.

Gently he lowered their bodies to the ground, one hand tangled within her clothing and pressed agonizingly against her moist center. His other arm, that had been keeping her upright, relaxed before snagging her wrists and pinning them above her head. He was painfully aroused and growing more so every minute he watched her writhe beneath him. He grinned a wicked little grin before snapping his hand away the moment before she fell over the edge. Her needy cry echoed in his ears as he quickly moved their clothing aside and lay above her, pinning her with his weight. His eyes dark and reflecting the desire that built inside him, he needed her.

* * *

Kondo hummed his favorite tune whilst he finished the last couple of pages to the story he was reading. The last couple of days still very fresh in his mind, he had found his little girl. The daughter he was never meant to have. His baby girl, who was more than likely curled up in the next room dreaming of happy things.

A frown marred his aged features, Aiko deserved some joy. If he could keep her with him, living here with the shensingumi, he would. But he knew better, he had learned the hard way with her mother. Her clan needed her, and she; weather she knew it or not, needed her clan. He would only be able to enjoy the times he shared with her right now; he knew that he more than likely would never see her again. And though the thought saddened him he promised himself he would be happy that he had met her at all.

Setting the book down next to his futon, and blowing out the light, Kondo settled in for a long night of sleep. And though he could feel sleep trying to take him, he simply couldn't relax long enough to fall asleep.

With a heavy sigh he tossed back the covers and moved to stand when a strange noise caught his ear.

"Eh?"

Cautiously he stopped and listened to the silence of the night, and after several minutes when he had assumed he was simply losing his mind, he heard another sound. Standing quickly, he pressed his ear to the rice-paper wall and listened.

Several different moans sounded from the room next to his.

'Ah, Okita has found a lady-friend to warm this cold night. Good for him, that boy needs all the relief he can get.' Kondo spoke mentally with a good natured grin in place.

Then it vanished. And something clicked into place. Okita was no longer staying in his room, Aiko, his daughter was.

In a flash Kondo had his haroi on, katana drawn and the door to his room flung open, stomping to the room his daughter was staying in he again tossed the door open and glared into the inky darkness.

It was empty.

Okita barely had enough time to close his kimono when Kondo's door flew open. Okita froze, his hand pressed hard over Aiko's. Their eyes locked onto the engawa and both flinched with each loud, booming step her father took.

If they got caught heads were going to roll.

There was a lull of silence were both youths froze and waited, then his voice.

"Aiko! Where have you gone girl!"

Survival instincts running on full and passion still coursing through her veins, she quickly flipped Okita over on to his back and grabbed his tanto. Then with an over exaggerated victory cry she called, "Over here, father! Look what I managed to do! I've pinned down Okita Souji."

Okita managed a crocked smile and innocent look the moment Kondo peered over and looked down at the two of them. He was suddenly very happy Aiko was resting above his groin, Kondo looked ready to kill.

"Aiko, what is going on here?"

Aiko managed a nervous giggle, "I, ah, am a bit jumpy. And well Okita-sama was passing by, well I thought he was an enemy and well attacked."

Okita winced, hoping to look stunned and innocent.

Kondo didn't look like he was going to fall for it as he asked, "you mean to tell me that there has been no philandering? That the two of you were not in fact in the middle of the throes of passion?"

Both Aiko and Okita had the decency to blush, and Aiko glared a bit for effect.

"Father! How course!"

"Kondo-kun, Aiko merely attacked me as I was heading to bed." Well that's about the truth, she did kind of attack him.

Kondo remained quiet then stunned them both by tossing a beaming smile, "I knew I could trust my daughter's virtue with you, Okita!" With a sudden yawn he stood and headed back to his room, "be a good lad and see to it that Aiko returns to her room at a decent hour."

Both waited on baited breath as Kondo's door shut with a slight clink, only then did Aiko break into a fit of giggles. Okita watched awestruck as the woman above him laughed, a smile coming to his lips at the ironic last words Kondo had spoken before returning to bed.

"Oh my, I can't believe we were almost caught." Aiko laughed, "protect my innocence, pfft how ironic don't you think Okita" And once more her voice was cut off by Okita's hungry kiss.

"I believe we have some unfinished business, Aiko."

Tbc!

* * *

Woohoo! Gimmie some action hunny!

* * *

Next Chapter

Insert the little ninja! No, not Tetsu, not Naruto, but Takara!

* * *

To the Reviewers!

Ionegirl: Some how...I feel discouraged...lol. Glad you like!

Incadove: Who is actually NOT me, but lillithan! Lol, I'm sure you liked this here chapter! (giggles)

(grins slyly) now this is going to be interesting . . .


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